


You Never Know What You're Gonna Get

by Holz9364



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-21
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-04-22 19:08:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 47
Words: 84,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4846931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Holz9364/pseuds/Holz9364
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A home for all my little oneshots that don't make it over the 5,000 word mark! I will update the tags as I post things. Have fun perusing the ramblings of my mind! [SEVERAL OF THESE ARE ALSO UPLOADED ON FANFICTION.NET UNDER 'Holz9364'].</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 10 Years

**Author's Note:**

> I AM SOOOO SORRY. But I couldn’t resist! I LOVED Zoey 101, I literally grew up on it and I was sooo addicted. So I did this, I actually went there...someone seriously needs to write a Harry/Hermione version too though. That would be epic, I decided to go down the Dramione route though! It’s just a wee bit of fun, so I hope you enjoy it!

“Astoria. I know that this was to be an arranged marriage,” Draco said as he looked at the dark haired woman sitting across from him in the swanky London restaurant he had brought her to.

Her large blue eyes widened, and she nodded slightly.

Draco continued, “But over the last few years that we have courted, I have grown very fond of you. In fact I do believe that I may have fallen in love with you.”

Astoria smiled slightly, “The feeling is mutual, Draco.”

Draco got up and walked to the other side of the table, kneeling before her, “So Astoria Lareina Greengrass-”

“Draco!”

Draco pulled himself to his feet and spun around in surprise, “Theo?”

Theodore Nott grinned broadly at his best friend from their Hogwarts days, “Hey, you look good Draco! Man, the years have treated you well.”

Draco momentarily forgot about his soon-to-be fiancé who was looking thoroughly miffed as she glared at the two men, “You look great Theo. It’s been years, I thought you were living in America!”

“I am,” Theo said, “But it’s been 10 years Draco.”

“And?” Draco asked with a frown, “10 years since what?”

“10 years since we buried those time capsules at Hogwarts after the war,” Theo said eagerly.

Draco’s eyes widened, “Theo...you haven’t...”

Theo grinned and pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket.

“Is that...” Draco trailed off as he stared at the scroll.

Theo nodded, “It’s her feelings for you. Remember how Hermione said that she wasn’t ready to face it all yet, but that one day she would let you read it?”

Astoria shook her head irritably, “Who the hell is Hermione?”

Theo scoffed, but ignored Astoria, “Are you going to read it or what?”

Draco sighed, “I don’t know if I should without her permission. She was adamant that it get buried without me knowing how she felt...maybe it would have been better buried.”

“Theodore, I don’t know what the hell you are playing at, but Draco was seconds away from proposing to me,” Astoria hissed.

“Well he won’t be when he reads that scroll,” Theo said a little smugly.

“You read it?” Draco asked in disbelief.

Theo smirked, “Draco, I heard you whine about Hermione Granger every day for 7 years. I think I had a right to read it. Go on, read it.”

“No, finish proposing to me!” Astoria exclaimed.

Draco shot a guilty glance back at her, and turned to Theo, “She really wouldn’t want me to read it Theo.”

“She gave you permission to read it Draco!” Theo said, “Don’t you remember? You were sitting by the lake and she came up and sat next to you...”

***FLASHBACK***

“Hey Malfoy.”

“Granger.”

“What did you put in your time capsule?”

Draco shrugged, “Nothing significant.”

Hermione smiled slightly, “Do you remember how you asked me earlier what I wrote in that note?”

Draco turned to her, “Yes.”

“I wrote something about you, but I won’t tell you what just yet. I think we both need time to cool off after all of the fighting...I think the world needs time to get back to normal.”

“When are you going to tell me then, Granger?”

“Well we aren’t supposed to open those time capsules for 20 years, but I think that’s a bit harsh. So let’s say 10.”

“10 years,” Draco asked in disbelief.

“10 years,” Hermione confirmed, getting to her feet with a smile. She glanced behind her to the spot where Harry and Ron were waiting, and watching with narrowed eyes, “See you around Malfoy.”

***END FLASHBACK***

“...So she gave you permission, and you have got to read it Draco!”

Draco glanced down at the parchment anxiously and undid the ribbon on the scroll. He unrolled it and read it, almost warily.

“My thoughts on those I spent my Hogwarts days with:

Harry; I love Harry like the brother I never had. All of the romantic rumours that flew around never had any hold, apart from maybe the tiniest crush I had on him when we were both really young. He’s just the sweetest, most clueless guy I have ever met and I bet he will be married to Ginny when this time capsule is opened in 20 years time. Probably with a whole brood of kids.

Ron; He is the most annoying pain in the arse! I used to think that there was something there, something between us. But he left during the war, he left Harry and I alone in the middle of that war and I really struggle to forgive him for that. The whole business with Lavender made me wonder whether I was looking down the entirely wrong route there anyway...But maybe we will still try, who knows?”

Draco scanned over the notes about Ginny, Luna and Neville until his eyes finally found his own name.

“And finally, Draco Malfoy. What can I say about Draco Malfoy? I hated him when I first met him, I thought he was an arrogant little shit who had been spoiled rotten by his rich pure-blood mummy and daddy. Honestly, he was that! But he is more than that too, he is just like Harry in many ways. He was forced into so many things, forced into becoming a Death Eater, forced into fighting on the wrong side of this war. And it was all to punish his Father, all because of his Father’s mistakes. And why should the sons suffer for the sins of the Fathers? I have seen Draco in a whole new light ever since 6th year, and then throughout the war. I don’t know how he feels about me, I have never known if he called my names and ‘pulled at my pigtails’ because he liked me or because he really did just hate me. Sometimes I really did think he had a bit of a crush on me though-”

“She knew?”

“Everybody knew!” Theo exclaimed.

“Everybody knew what?” Astoria asked angrily.

“That I’m in love with Hermione Granger!”

Theo grinned as Draco’s cheeks reddened, “I knew it! Merlin, Daphne called it so early! She clocked it in 3rd year, I bloody well knew it!”

“My sister knew about this?” Astoria fumed.

“Everybody knew about it,” Theo replied, “Weren’t you there when he talked about her, and stared at her, and cursed the living daylights out of Viktor Krum for dating her?”

“No,” Astoria frowned,

“Merlin Astoria, you’re only two years younger than us. Where the hell were you when this was happening?” Theo asked in disbelief.

“Ugh!” Astoria exclaimed, “I am leaving and my Father will be cancelling that marriage contract, Draco!”

Draco glanced at her guiltily, “Astoria, I am so sorry-”

“Oh save it for Hermione fucking Granger!” Astoria snapped, stalking from the restaurant in her high heels and flipping her long hair over her shoulder.

Theo took her vacated seat and drank from her half empty wine glass, “You have to read the rest.”

Draco looked away from Astoria and glanced down.

“But the truth is, I had a little bit of a crush on him too. He is very handsome after all, and I got into the habit of liking our battles of wit. He gave me a challenge, and I liked that. I think if something had happened between us he would have kept me on my toes. I think we could have read books together, and discussed potions principles, and part of me wonders if maybe he was my soulmate.”

“Soulmate.”

Theo nodded with a wide grin.

“I have to go and find her, don’t I?”

“Oh yeah,” Theo smirked, “She didn’t marry the Weasel, and she is working in the DMLE so she’s an easy find...”

Draco grinned at Theo, “Thank you Theo, thank you so much!” he said as he rushed out of the restaurant.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Granger.”

Hermione jumped at the silky, smooth, and very familiar voice. She spun around and saw him, leaning in the doorway, his blonde hair longer than she remembered and not slicked back and covered in gel. 

“Malfoy,” Hermione uttered in surprise.

Draco took a step into the office, “Do you have a moment?”

Hermione glanced at the fireplace and bit her lip, “I’m supposed to be babysitting for Harry and Ginny so it will have to be quick.”

“Why didn’t you marry Weasley?”

Hermione raised an eyebrow, “That’s none of your business.”

“Maybe,” Draco agreed, “But I want to know.”

“Malfoy, you disappeared off of the face of the earth for about 10 years! I mean I know you’re a potions brewer, but I have not seen you apart from to say hello to in the street every 3 years or so, You can’t just come back here and ask why I didn’t marry Ron!”

“I can,” Draco said with a slight smile, “You don’t have to answer, but I can ask.”

Hermione crossed her arms and stared at him, “Because I got bored, alright? I was sick of Quidditch and I was sick of the lack of intelligent conversation, and I was sick of being teased for enjoying reading. If you must know!”

Draco smiled slightly as he pulled the scroll from his pocket, “You said 10 years.”

Hermione’s eyes widened, “You...you read that?”

Draco nodded, his grey eyes meeting her surprised brown eyes.

Hermione leant against her desk in surprise, “And?”

“And I wondered if you would come out for dinner with me?” Draco said with a slightly smug smile, “Because if you think we might be soulmates, well I would quite like to test that.”

Hermione’s cheeks became pink, and it made Draco smile all the wider, “I can’t believe you actually dug it up...”

“I didn’t,” Draco admitted, “Theo did.”

Hermione laughed weakly, “And suddenly everything makes sense.”

“So, about that dinner?” Draco asked, feeling a little cautious that she would say no.

However, Hermione smiled and nodded, “Yes, dinner would be lovely.”

Draco’s smile was genuine, and it widened at her words. He gave her a small nod in return, “Saturday at 7pm, I will pick you up, of course.”

“Aren’t you engaged, Draco?”

Draco looked a little sheepish, “I was in an arranged marriage, but Cygnus Greengrass nullified that contract this morning and fined me a great deal in the process.”

“Why?” Hermione asked, narrowing her eyes at the former Slytherin.

“Because Theodore Nott burst into the restaurant moments before I proposed to Astoria,” Draco said, his own cheeks a little pink, “And gave me this scroll of parchment.”

Hermione bit her lip in a way that had always made Draco want to kiss her, “I am so sorry.”

Draco shook his head very slightly, “Saturday?”

“Saturday,” Hermione agreed with a soft smile.

THE END :)


	2. An Unexpected Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everybody knows that Harry Potter cherishes his date nights. But when he bumps into an old foe after a trip out with his boyfriend, things take a rather unexpected and amusing turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I re-watched the Hobbit, Battle of the Five Armies and this just came out of nowhere. Blame Thorin and his majestic-ness, and the awesomeness of Bagginshield. And Thranduil on that friggin elk.

Everyone who worked in the Auror department knew that Friday night was their bosses date night. Nobody dared to ask Harry Potter to work late on a Friday, nobody dared to ask him if he would switch shifts with them. Nobody went anywhere near his office after 5pm. An intern had tried it once, and it had not been pretty.

They all knew his routine, he would retreat to his office at 5pm when his shift officially finished. Then he would freshen himself up and change, locking up his office at 5.30pm. He would then look in on those doing the night shift and supply them with sugary treats and coffee. He smiled and wished everyone a good evening as he clocked out, and then he left for his date night. Every Friday like clockwork.

Tonight’s date night activity had been a movie, followed by a couple of drinks at Frankie and Benny’s of course. That was another little tradition of Harry Potter’s, one he shared with his long-term boyfriend, Neville Longbottom. They liked to talk through the details of the movies afterwards, they pointed out the flaws, and gushed about the parts they had loved. Tonight they had a lot to talk about, because they had been looking forward to this movie for years.

“It was an epic finale,” Harry said with a grin.

“Almost as epic as the first film,” Neville laughed, “Do you remember when we went to see it together?”

“How could I forget?” Harry said, his eyes shining with amusement, “It was our first date, it was my first date with a guy...God, I was so awkward back then.”

Neville laughed heartily, “You were awkward? I was the one who ruined that date, if I remember correctly.”

Harry grinned at the taller man, “Well it was certainly memorable. I’ve never had to obliviate half of a cinema on a first date with anyone else. I mean, “Wizards don’t use staffs anymore, that’s why we have wands!” wasn’t your best line, Nev.”

“It was my introduction to the muggle world, cut me a break,” Neville said, but he was chuckling.

“It could have been worse,” Neville said through his laughter, “Do you know what happened the first time Malfoy went out in the Muggle world?”

“No,” Harry said, “What did he do?”

“He had never seen or heard a helicopter before so when one flew overhead he panicked,” Neville said, biting back his laughter, “Hermione was taking him out of a friend date if I remember, and he thought Death Eaters were attacking from the air. They had to call in the obliviators to make the whole café forget.”

Harry snorted in amusement, “Speaking of Malfoy, do you think Peter Jackson modelled Thranduil on him?”

Neville barked out a laugh, “What with his long, flowing blonde hair and majestic good looks?”

“I was going to say feminine looks, but each to their own,” Harry laughed.

“He’s majestic enough,” Neville said with a roll of his eyes, “The way he stalks into a room and demands the attention of everyone inside it.”

“Until we walk in and nobody looks twice at him,” Harry said with a broad grin.

“I’ll tell you another similarity I spotted,” Neville said as he picked up his beer, “The animosity between Thranduil and Thorin, did that remind you of anyone?”

Harry snorted, “If Malfoy is Thranduil and I’m Thorin, does that make you Bilbo?”

“Fuck off Harry,” Neville said half-heartedly, “I’m not actually just your sidekick you know. I don’t just go around killing dragons for you.”

“No, you kill snakes for me,” Harry teased, “But come on, you are quite like a hobbit. I mean Bilbo carried that acorn around so he could plant it in his garden, do you remember the hassle we had getting through customs at Heathrow because you were determined to plant your own venomous tentacula in our back garden?”

Neville rolled his eyes, “I am not like a hobbit. You however are entirely like a dwarf, you’re short, angry, stubborn and defensive.”

“That stings,” Harry said, but his eyes were sparkling with amusement.

Neville laughed lightly, “As much as we joke though, Thranduil was the best part of that movie. His sass levels were through the roof.”

“Malfoy was never that sassy, as much as he tried to be,” Harry said in amusement, “But I can imagine him majestically riding into battle on a giant peacock.”

Neville lost it at these words, the image made him burst out laughing and Harry grinned at the sight. Their laughter was interrupted by the most unexpected voice, they might have expected to hear it in The Three Broomsticks or The Leaky Cauldron at a stretch even at the Hogs Head. But they certainly had not expected to hear it at a muggle Frankie and Benny’s in London.

“Potter, Longbottom.”

Harry raised an amused eyebrow at Neville before turning around, “Good evening Malfoy. Have you come from the premiere?”

Draco Malfoy frowned, “What are you talking about Potter?”

Neville sniggered slightly, “I think we ought to start calling you Thranduil, actually.”

Draco’s frown deepened, “The Hobbit? That’s what you’re talking about?”

Harry was the one frowning now, “What? How do you know about that?”

“Actually, I-”

Before Draco could say anymore a woman walked into the restaurant, slipping her mobile phone into her pocket as she did so. She made a beeline for Draco and grinned when she reached him, “Sorry about that Drake, Mum wanted to know if you would be staying tonight or heading home.”

“Drake?” Harry asked in an amused whisper.

“It’s a step up from Drakey,” Neville whispered back.

Draco rolled his eyes, “It's my muggle name so shut up.”

The two men only smirked at the blonde man in amusement. The woman he was with looked at them curiously. She had dirty blonde hair, and it was currently pulled up into a messy bun, her dark brown eyes were surveying Harry and Neville, as if she was waiting for Draco to introduce them to her. Draco himself looked very different these days, his hair was long, like his Father’s had been.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends, Drake?” The woman asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes Drake, how rude of you,” Harry said matter of factly.

“Lizzie, this is Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom,” Draco said in a tone of false politeness, “We went to school together.”

“Ooh, you guys must have the best blackmail stories then, right?” Lizzie asked with a grin.

“Oh yes,” Neville said with an amused smile, “You should join us for a couple of drinks, and we can tell you all of the blackmail stories.”

Lizzie, who looked an awful lot younger than Draco, looked delighted at the very thought. Draco however shook his head, “No, that is a very bad idea Lizzie.”

“Oh come on Drake, it’s a great idea!” Lizzie said, sliding into the seat next to Harry with a grin.

Draco sighed in a long-suffering way and slid into the only remaining seat, next to Neville, “One drink Liz, and then we’re going home. I mean it.”

“So how long have you guys known Drake?” Lizzie asked them.

“Oh we go way back,” Harry said with an amused smile, “We met in 1991.”

“Holy shit, I wasn’t even born in 1991,” Lizzie said in amusement, “You’ve known each other forever!”

“Way to make me feel old Lizzie,” Draco said with a roll of his eyes as the waiter stopped by them and they ordered more drinks. 

Harry smirked at Neville when Draco ordered the most expensive firewhiskey he could, and Lizzie ordered a fancy, barely alcoholic cocktail. 

“No offence, but isn’t there quite an age gap here?” Harry asked with a raised eyebrow, “I mean I know you like younger women Malfoy, but-”

“Ugh, no!” Lizzie exclaimed in disgust, “He’s not my boyfriend, he’s my brother! Well...half-brother actually, same Dad, different Mums.”

Neville bit his lip to stop himself from making a remark, but Draco saw, “Yes Longbottom, I know it doesn’t come as much of a surprise.”

Harry looked vaguely amused, “Yes, it isn’t much of a surprise given your Father’s reputation Draco. How old are you, Lizzie?”

“22,” Lizzie replied matter of factly, “My Mum was a whole lot younger than my Dad, our Dad that is.”

“Yes, she was born when we were in 2nd year,” Draco said as he watched the two Gryffindors do the math, “My Father got bored when I went to Hogwarts, apparently. My biggest objection was that he gave me so much shit for having a crush on Granger at Hogwarts, and he was having an affair with a Muggle the whole time.”

Harry raised an eyebrow, “Still bitter that she married Ron, are you?”

Draco sighed, “Well she could do so much better, and I know you both agree.”

“She could,” Neville agreed, “But she wants Ron, and the heart wants what the heart wants.”

Draco rolled his eyes, “I don’t want to hear your cryptic crap tonight Longbottom, I’ve just been dragged through a hideously long film that represents magic and magical creatures in an entirely inaccurate fashion.”

“You’ve just been to see the last Hobbit film too then?” Harry asked in amusement.

Lizzie nodded, “God yes, I love those movies! Martin Freeman is hilarious, and Richard Armitage is to die for,” she gushed.

Draco was shaking his head at her, but he was smiling fondly too.

Harry shot Neville an amused look, and his boyfriend grinned.

“We prefer Lee Pace and Luke Evans, to be honest,” Neville said calmly.

Lizzie’s eyes widened, “Oh! You two are together? Sorry, I didn’t realise.”

“It’s fine,” Harry chuckled.

“How long have you been dating for?” Lizzie asked conversationally.

“Forever,” Draco muttered.

Harry shook his head in amusement, “About 10 years.”

“What?” Lizzie asked in disbelief, “You should totally get married, it’s legal now!”

“On this side maybe,” Harry side, “But not on our side.”

“Oh,” Lizzie realised quietly, “Pretty Victorian over that way, isn’t it?”

Neville laughed, “Very much so.”

“I can’t believe Drake doesn’t even have electricity in his house,” Lizzie said with a roll of her eyes, “I couldn’t charge my phone, tablet or my laptop when I went to stay with him last summer.”

Harry chuckled, aware that Draco was being very quiet, “We were just talking about Draco actually. We noticed a certain resemblance in looks and nature between him and Thranduil.”

Lizzie laughed loudly as her and Draco’s drinks were placed in front of them, “Yes! Gosh, there is a resemblance there! Oh Drake, you have to dress up as Thranduil for Dad’s Halloween Ball next month.”

“Lizzie, it’s not that kind of Halloween party,” Draco said in amusement, “and I dread to think what he would say if I showed up like that.”

“You should do it, just to find out,” Neville teased.

Draco shook his head, “Not that you two can talk. I noticed certain similarities too.”

“Yes, we already had that discussion about Neville being a hobbit,” Harry grinned.

“And Harry being a dwarf,” Neville added.

“He’s short enough,” Draco remarked.

Harry rolled his eyes, “It’s always got to be a height joke.”

Lizzie grinned at them, “Enough about movies, tell me all about Draco’s embarrassing, awkward teenage years!”

Harry laughed and glanced to Neville, “Well I think you should look to the man who had a crush on your brother for years.”

Neville’s face flushed, and he glared at Harry, “Oh come on, and you didn’t? You stalked him for a whole year.”

“Because he was scheming, Neville, because he was concocting evil schemes. I did not have dreams about him, or do you forget that we shared a dormitory for 7 years?” Harry smirked.

Draco looked rather smug as Neville’s cheeks brightened even more, and Lizzie laughed as she looked between them. Draco leant back and said, “Do continue, this is turning out to be rather interesting.”

“No, it isn’t,” Neville said, sheltering himself by drinking from his beer glass.

“Well,” Harry grinned, “Neville is the best person to ask about Draco’s awkward teenage years, because he did a lot of observing during those years.”

Neville rolled his eyes, his cheeks still pink, “That’s the annoying thing Malfoy, you didn’t have any awkward teenage years. Basically Lizzie, he just walked into that school as a suave git and stayed like that until we graduated.”

“Apart from in that interlude when he was trying to kill Dumbledore,” Harry pointed out, “Then he looked like shit, his hair was flat and everything.”

Draco raised an eyebrow, “I didn’t know you paid so much attention, Potter.”

“Well that was the year he stalked you,” Neville remarked in amusement.

“I didn’t stalk him!” Harry exclaimed.

“Harry, you followed him into the bathroom,” Neville said in exasperation.

“Because I knew he was up to something, and I was right. He turned out to be a Death Eater,” Harry said, looking pointedly at Draco.

“I still can’t believe you tried to kill your Headmaster,” Lizzie said with a shake of her head.

“Yes, I know. I was a worthless, horrible human being, but can you please keep your voice down Liz? I don’t want to try and obliviate an entire restaurant again.”

“Don’t worry, I put a notice me not charm up a while ago,” Harry said with a wave of his hand, “Lizzie must have heard us because she was with you. The other muggles think we’re talking about everyday nonsense.”

“Ah, I see,” Draco said, “Very good thinking on your behalf, Potter.”

“I have to take the precaution when I’m out with Neville,” Harry said, an amused smile slipping onto his face, “I had to obliviate half of the cinema on our first date because he was talking very loudly about how wizards don’t use staffs anymore because we have wands.”

“Well those films are completely inaccurate,” Draco said, leaning forward and sipping his drink, “I mean look at the elves, they look nothing like our elves! Dragons don’t talk, and neither do trees, they just try to kill students. Goblins are about ugly enough to be accurate, I’ll give them that at least.”

“But that wasn’t what irked him the most,” Lizzie smirked, “It was the fact the beautiful elf picked the dwarf rather than the beautiful, majestic blonde elf.”

“Definitely still bitter that Hermione married Ron,” Harry grinned.

Draco rolled his eyes as Harry and Neville both grinned, and Lizzie smirked wickedly.

“Oh shut up and buy me another drink you moronic idiots!”

The End :)


	3. Wandlore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Harry Potter's best friend tells him that there is a certain amount of significance to a wand feeling friendly in your hand, he naturally freaks the hell out.... Drarry :)

"Oh Harry, it is so fascinating! It’s like a science, it’s so specific and intricate and there is so much to learn! You would find it so fascinating! Just today I was learning...”

Harry loved his best friend very much. He absolutely adored Hermione, and he loved her like the sister he had never had. But as much as he loved her, he did occasionally find his coffee dates with her slightly tedious at times. When Harry met up with Ron they normally got pretty close to drunk, laughed about stupid things and...well they bitched about their fellow Aurors quite a lot too. 

But Hermione just talked about her job all of the time. She loved it, and she was great at it, and Harry was proud of her. He was really proud of her, because she was doing an elite apprenticeship in wand manufacturing under Ollivander’s watchful eye. He had to train someone up to take over the shop after all, he was an elderly man now and the war had really left its mark on him.

“Harry! Did you listen to a word that I just said?”

Harry cursed inwardly, Hermione had crossed her arms over her chest. Her latte was going cold, and her brown eyes were staring irritably into his.

“Yes, you were talking about wands...and learning and...” Harry trailed off, realising his feeble attempt to cover his ass was not working in the slightest.

Hermione huffed a little, “I just thought you would find it interesting!”

“I’m sorry Mione,” Harry said in his most apologetic tone of voice, “My mind was just on work. You know we have this tough case at the moment.”

Hermione’s features softened and Harry felt momentarily guilty for lying to her. 

“Well I was just telling you that today I learned about wand companionship.”

Harry frowned, “Wand companionship?”

Hermione nodded eagerly, “It says a lot about the relationship between two people, the way their wands feel to each other. You can use mine comfortably even if it doesn’t feel quite the same as your own for example, and that’s a sign of strong friendship.”

Harry’s frown deepened, “I didn’t know that.”

Hermione nodded once more, “And Ollivander thinks wands can even hold the secret to soul magic. Not horcruxes, not the dark kind,” she added when she saw concern flash in Harry’s eyes, “He means soul magic as in soulmates.”

Harry scoffed, “You believe in that rubbish?”

“Of course I do!” Hermione exclaimed, “We have to have something pulling us towards the person we are meant for!”

“But it’s like Divination, and you admitted yourself that it was a woolly subject,” Harry said with a shake of his head.

“Divination was a different story,” Hermione said, suddenly sounding like her uptight 14 year old self, “It was a very woolly subject, incredibly speculative! But this is different, your magic is tied in with your soul and your wand channels that magic!”

Harry snorted in disbelief, “So how does your wand tell you who your soulmate is then, enlighten me?”

Hermione glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest once more, “If someone’s wand feels friendly in your hand then Ollivander thinks it’s linked to your soul. Either they are your soulmate, or you will have a very intense romantic relationship with them.”

Harry was fairly certain his face had lost all of its colour in the space of about 2 seconds. Hermione frowned, instantly noticing the change in her friend, “Harry, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Harry said sheepishly as he got to his feet and threw some money onto the table, “But I have to get back to work.”

“Harry-”

“Work, Hermione!” Harry called evasively as he practically ran from the coffee shop.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

BANG. BANG. BANG.

“Harry, it is 4am,” Neville yawned as he opened the door of his London flat, “And you are drenched. What the hell is going on?”

“I think Draco Malfoy is my soulmate.”

Neville’s eyebrows shot up so far that they were almost lost in his hair, “I think you better come in.”

“Yeah.” Harry muttered, and he stepped into the flat. He made his own way through to the living room and poured himself a glass of Neville’s firewhiskey. Then he sat down in Neville’s favourite armchair and sighed heavily.

“Make yourself at home then,” Neville said sarcastically.

Harry would have rolled his eyes, or sniggered at the fact that Neville was wearing a fluffy pink dressing gown. But he was too caught up in his own drama (and he could guess that the dressing gown was Luna’s from the fact it was way too small for Neville).

“So...” Neville said slowly as he leant in the doorway, “Malfoy?”

“Malfoy,” Harry groaned, “Why does it have to be Malfoy?”

“When did this happen?” Neville asked in disbelieving amusement.

“Today!” Harry snapped, “Hermione told me about soul magic and wandlore. All of the shit she goes on about all of the time on our coffee dates. I do try and zone out to be honest, but I listened today and I wish I hadn’t because apparently if a wand feels friendly in your hand it has something to do with soulmates and intense magic. Is it true? How does Luna’s wand feel to you?”

Neville smiled slightly, “Friendly, it’s about the only wand I can use when mine is out of reach.”

“Well I stole Malfoy’s wand in the war, and then returned it to him afterwards,” Harry said, letting his head drop into his hands, “And it worked great for me, it was the friendliest wand I had ever felt!”

Neville snorted, “Well I know you’re gay and all-”

“This isn’t funny Neville!” Harry said, in a mildly panicked, but mostly annoyed, tone of voice.

Neville grinned, “So when did you fall in love with Draco Malfoy then? First year when you had your cute little midnight duel with him? Or maybe third year when he sent you notes in class? Or could it be 6th year when you stalked him and watched him piss in bathrooms? Or was it when you stole his wand in the war?”

Harry glared at the man who was supposed to be one of his best friends, “You are supposed to be supportive!”

Neville snorted, “I am supportive. Let’s face it Harry, you are here because Hermione would be way too high-strung to give you decent advice on this, and nobody else has the slightest clue that you are gay. Not even the idiot who shared a dorm with us for 7 years. I mean let’s face it, anyone with ears could hear your dreams and the names Cedric and Draco came up way more than Cho and Ginny.”

“God Neville, I hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

“No, I don’t. But I am so fucking confused,” Harry said as he despaired, “Bloody Draco Malfoy! With his stupid slicked back hair-”

“- That you accidentally said you found sexy when it wasn’t slicked back...”

“- And his unnervingly observant eyes. I mean grey is a terrible eye colour -”

“- That you said was entrancing...”

“- And the way he strutted around that school like he owned the place. The arrogant bloody arsehole that he is!”

“- Yeah and I seem to remember you telling me you liked egotistical guys. I mean you had a fling with Cormac McLaggen for Godric’s sake.”

“Ugh,” Harry groaned, “I’m in love with Draco Malfoy.”

“Yep.”

Harry threw his head back and stared at the roof of Neville’s living room, “What the fuck am I going to do?”

“Well generally you ask someone out on a date then see where things go from there,” Neville smirked, “But knowing you and Malfoy, you would probably end up fucking in the bathroom within 5 minutes.”

Harry glared at him, “Remember the whole supportive friend thing?”

“Harsh truths are sometimes necessary Harry,” Neville said, he was enjoying this way too much and Harry hated him a little bit for it.

“Why did it have to be Draco Malfoy? If it had been anyone else I would have just asked them on a date, gone to the Muggle world. How the hell do you get Draco Malfoy to the Muggle world?”

Neville smirked slightly, “I’m reading the subtext here but all I’m hearing is ‘how do I get into Draco Malfoy’s trousers’ to be honest.”

Harry glared at his ‘friend’ one final time as he got to his feet, “Thanks Neville, this chat has been great. I love how supportive a friend you are, let’s do this again sometime.”

Neville ignored Harry’s sarcasm, he simply gave him a kick out of the front door and said, “Yes let’s, and next time let’s not do it at 4am in the morning. Good luck trying to get Malfoy to screw you.”

“Fuck you Neville.”

“Goodnight Harry,” Neville said in an overly cheerful tone as he shut the door in Harry’s face.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Uh...does Draco Malfoy work here?”

“Aye. What do you need doing?”

Harry fumbled slightly as he stood at the desk in the Apothecary in Diagon Alley. He was speaking to the Manager at the desk, and he knew that Draco brewed potions in the back-room, “Well I need you to pass on a message to him, from Harry Potter-”

“Potter?” Draco’s voice said in disbelief as he stepped through from the back-room.

Harry inwardly cursed, “Uh Malfoy, hey. Can I have a quick word with you, in private?”

Draco looked entirely bemused but he let Harry into the dark back-room where he was brewing a batch of pepper-up potions. He shut the door behind the Gryffindor and looked at him pointedly, as if to say, ‘I’m listening.’

“I have something I need to talk to you about,” Harry said sheepishly, “And I was wondering if I could buy you a drink, to talk about it, later tonight.”

“Potter,” Draco said slowly, narrowing his eyes at the dark-haired man, “Are you asking me out?”

“No!” Harry said with a nervous laugh, “I just have to discuss something very important with you. And I thought if I bought you a drink you would be more inclined to discuss it.”

“This is completely out of character Potter. Are you going to poison me, or kill me and throw me in a ditch somewhere?” Draco asked, raising his eyebrow at the man.

Harry scoffed, “I’m an Auror, Malfoy. Do you really think I’m that stupid? I know it’s a weird request, but I’ll explain it all later.”

“Fine,” Draco said after a long moment of silence, “But it’s only because I’m curious.”

Harry gave a relieved nod, “It has to be in the Muggle world so that nobody overhears.”

Draco narrowed his eyes even more, “Just floo me an address and a time.”

“Great, I have to get back to work now. See you,” Harry said, making his escape as quickly as he could.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry was very nervous that night as he sat on a bench in the Muggle park where he had agreed to meet Draco. The minutes seem to last for hours as the sky darkened and the park slowly got quieter and quieter. 

Eventually 9pm came, and Draco sat down next to Harry. He crossed his legs with ease and leant back, “I would have brought you coffee but I didn’t know if you drank it.”

“I’m an Auror.”

Draco scoffed, “So you probably drink it black with no sugar.”

Harry momentarily forgot his nervousness, “And you’re an arse so you probably drink it with sugar cubes and cinnamon or caramel or something equally as pretentious.”

“This is a pumpkin spiced latte actually.”

“Exactly.”

“Is this what you wanted to discuss, Potter? My taste in coffee?”

“No...I wanted to discuss something else of yours though...Your wand in fact,” Harry said awkwardly.

“What?” Draco asked, momentarily disconcerted. In fact he nearly spilled coffee down himself until he brought his surprise under control, “I mean I had heard all of the gay rumours, but that’s a bit forward, don’t you think?”

Harry ignored the joke, his cheeks a little pink, “That’s not what I meant, I mean I am gay but-”

“What?” Draco asked again, his grey eyes wide with surprise, “You are?”

Harry frowned, “Yeah, isn’t that fairly obvious? I mean I know Ron hadn’t worked it out yet but I figured he was just totally clueless. He still hasn’t clocked that Hermione’s in love with him so-”

“Potter, you are rambling,” Draco said, amusement shining in his eyes briefly, “And it wasn’t obvious.”

“Well...you know now,” Harry said, feeling awkward again, “So your wand, the one that I sort of stole, sorry about that by the way-”

Draco waved his hand, “What about it?”

“Well do you know about wandlore and all of that stuff?” Harry asked, looking anywhere but at Draco.

“All I know is that the wand chooses the wizard. It goes deeper than that but wandlore is a very precise science and a difficult one to master,” Draco said.

Harry nodded, “I know, Hermione’s doing it and she loves it. She talks about it all of the time, and she told me this thing the other day which was...well I don’t know. I want to test it, so take my wand.” 

Draco frowned as he looked at the wand, “Woah, you have to explain a little bit more than that.”

Harry bit his lip, “It’s complicated.”

Draco got to his feet, “Well I am not touching that until you make it less complicated, and certainly not in a muggle park for crying out loud.”

“Well where else do you suggest we go?” Harry asked irritably.

Draco rolled his eyes, “Just come back to my flat.”

Harry’s heart pounded a little too fast at those words. Fuck, it was like Cho Chang in 4th year all over again. Actually no, it was more like Cedric Diggory and the fantasies Harry had about prefects bathrooms...He pulled himself out of that reverie before it could take hold.

“Flat? What happened to the Manor?”

“For an Auror you aren’t very up to date on current events,” Draco said as Harry fell into step with him, “I sold the Manor months ago, and what does a single man need with an entire manor?”

“Well you’ll need it when you get married and have kids, won’t you?” Harry asked, prodding a little bit with that question.

Draco raised an eyebrow, “What are the chances of a gay man getting married and having kids?”

Harry’s cheeks flushed, “Right, I didn’t know that.”

“Really?” Draco asked with false surprise, “I thought it was obvious.”

Harry rolled his eyes, “Touché...although in hindsight it was obvious. You hung out in trees to shout at people, that’s pretty flamboyant.”

A genuine smile played on Draco’s lips slightly as they slipped into an alleyway. Draco told Harry the co-ordinates of his flat, and they both spun on their heel.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“So, the wandlore?”

“Right,” Harry said as he played with the firewhiskey glass in his hand, “Hermione told me that wands were linked to soul magic.”

“As in soulmates?”

Harry nodded, “Do you believe in that?”

Draco sighed, “I don’t know. I’ve never had cause to, but I find it hard to believe that Granger does. I know her opinion on subjects like Divination...”

“This is different apparently, and it all comes from Ollivander so I know that it’s true,” Harry said as he set the glass down, “The thing is Malfoy, she said if someone’s wand feels friendly in your hand it means they are your soulmate or you will have an intense romantic relationship with them.”

“And?”

“And I stole your wand in the war,” Harry said, finally managing to meet his curious, grey eyes, “And it worked for me, almost as well as my own wand. It felt...”

“...friendly in your hand?” Draco said quietly.

Harry nodded and held out his wand to the Slytherin once more, “So just humour me, please.”

Draco looked at the wand tentatively and then took it from Harry. It buzzed immediately, and responded to Draco’s touch with ease. Harry’s face paled, and Draco simply uttered, “Fuck.”

“That confirms that hunch,” Harry said quietly as he took his wand back from a slightly dazed Draco Malfoy.

Draco nodded numbly, “Wait a minute, are you saying that you...?”

“Fancy you?” Harry asked, amusement sparkling in his green eyes, “Were you blind in school?”

“Were you?” Draco countered, “I literally climbed a tree to look cool and insult you when you walked by!”

“I stalked you for a whole year!”

“I know, it was downright creepy Potter! Why not just think of a rather inventive insult?”

“Why not just try and get yourself killed by a hippogriff to get my attention?”

“Well it worked, didn’t it?”

Harry paused, aware that he and Draco had walked closer to each other with every insult. They were now standing, practically nose to nose, both breathing a little more heavily than they had been before.

“Is that why you shouted at me over the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables all of the time?” Harry asked with a grin, “Because you fancied me?”

Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes, “Yes Potter, it was because I fancied you. Everything I did was to get your attention, alright? Are you happy now?”

Harry’s grin became a smirk, and Draco’s eyes involuntarily went to his lips, “Well, not quite yet.”

Draco knew what Harry was going to do before he did it. He stepped forward and pressed Draco against the living room as his lips latched onto the Slytherins. Draco made a noise somewhere between a gasp and a moan, and his half empty glass of firewhiskey fell to the floor, instantly forgotten.

In a flash their hands were everywhere, Draco’s in Harry’s unruly, but surprisingly soft, black hair. Harry’s roaming over Draco’s body. They kissed like they argued, and like they duelled. It was aggressive, all biting and fighting for dominance, teeth clashed and there was that metallic taste of blood which in this situation oddly turned Harry on. 

Draco involuntarily thrust his hips slightly, and Harry gasped into the kiss as he felt the other man’s reaction to the kiss (and the groping) press hard against his reaction to that very same thing. He didn’t miss the smirk on Draco’s lips as he reached for Harry’s zipper, but before his hands (which were unsurprisingly soft) began their assault on Harry’s body, one lucid thought did pass through his head.

He groaned, and thrust into Draco’s hand, fumbling for the other man’s zipper in the fairly dark room. He knew he would soon be lost to the oblivion of an orgasm induced by Draco fucking Malfoy, of all people.

But before he let that oblivion take him away, he thought to himself. 

Well fuck this, Neville was right!

THE END ;)


	4. I'm...in Denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another DRARRY :) Draco Malfoy is completely in love with Harry Potter, and it's driving the Slytherins mad, so they stage an intervention...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based on a tumblr post, posted by accio-malfoy! Here are the two posts that inspired this piece of silliness;
> 
> Draco:I'm -  
> Pansy:Gay?  
> Pansy:Madly in love with Potter?  
> Pansy:Rather pathetic in your attempts to get him to notice you?  
> Pansy:All of the above?  
> Draco:...  
> Draco:I'm off to the Owlery  
> Draco:...  
> Draco:And fuck off Pansy
> 
> and this one, from pretentious-git on tumblr;
> 
> Most draco days  
> Draco: *pissed off* Harry Potter can go suck my fucking dick  
> Person: but doesn't he already  
> Draco: you shut the hell up

By the second week of their ‘8th Year’ at Hogwarts, the Slytherins were despairing. They had a shared common room with the other students who had returned to re-do their final year of schooling. But they still had to share a dorm room with those who had been in their own house. This meant that the male Slytherins were far more affected by this sense of despair than the female Slytherins.

However, it affected all of them in some way or another. The problem was that Draco Malfoy was madly in love with Harry James bloody Potter. Everyone could see it, especially them because they were incredibly perceptive. The only person who could not see it, or more accurately would not accept it, was Draco Malfoy himself.

The first two weeks of the term were therefore hellish. They had been forced to listen to Draco rant about Harry Potter for 7 years, and they had rather naively hoped that he would shut the hell up about him now that the war was over. But alas, they had been wrong.

Every minute of every day Draco talked about Potter. The only time he stopped was when he was sleeping, eating, or in a class that forbade him from speaking. The Slytherins who called themselves his friends had tried to avoid him at first, but he had always managed to find them, so they had been forced to think up a new tactic.

That new tactic was called being blunt as hell, and annoying the crap out of their friend at the same time, and Theodore Nott decided to kick things off.

“Hey Theo,” Draco said as he flopped on the sofa in the common room one evening, “I’m-”

“Gay?”

Draco blanched, “What?” He spluttered.

Theo smirked, “Gay, Draco. You like men, you want to kiss them, you want to fuck them, you want to suck-”

“That’s enough!” Draco exclaimed, looking incredibly flustered as he glanced around the common room.

“Struck a nerve there, did I?” Theo asked smoothly.

Draco glared at him, “No, and I’m not gay. You can’t talk anyway, snogging anything that bloody moves! Ugh, anyway as far as Potter goes, he can-”

“Suck your dick?”

Draco’s face reddened even more, “I...what...Theo!” he spluttered

Theo just grinned at his friend and got to his feet, “Night Draco,” he said in a sing-song sort of way as he left the common room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The other Slytherins had seen Theo’s approach, and they saw its effect. He had not said a single word to Theodore Nott after that conversation, if you could call it that. In fact Draco had actually gone to the extent of avoiding Theo.

Blaise Zabini decided to have a go next. Draco sat down next to him in Potions, and began to mutter under his breath, “Honestly Blaise, he’s such an arrogant tosser! I mean I’m-”

“Desperate to fuck him?”

Draco was so startled by this response that he dropped an entire jar of newts eyes into his cauldron. It promptly exploded in his face, and he passed out on the floor. 

Blaise shared a rather wicked grin with his fellow Slytherins.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Their method was now tried and tested. Draco had not said a word to Blaise since his surprise response in Potions two days previously. And Draco’s eyebrows had still not grown back yet either. The next Slytherin to have a go was Tracey Davis.

“Trace. Can I sit with you?” Draco asked as he spotted his friend in the library.

Tracey nodded, immersed in her book, “Sure.”

Draco sat down next to her at the secluded table towards the back of the library. He let out a fairly loud sigh and opened his book, “Can you believe that Gryffindor actually won that Quidditch match? I mean of course they did, it was for charity, it was probably engineered that way. I think Potter is cheating, he always catches the snitch so quickly. Nobody can be that good a seeker after not practicing for a year! I’m-”

“Sexually frustrated about how much you want to get in Harry Potter’s pants?”

Draco’s arms slipped, and he fell face first into the table with a thump. 

Tracey grinned triumphantly as Madam Pince grabbed him by the scruff of his collar and threw him out of the library for making too much noise in the quiet section.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This method was proving to be very effective. Three out of the five Slytherins who had suffered through Draco’s 7 year rant about his love for Harry Potter, and returned to Hogwarts for an 8th instalment of it, were no longer dealing with the pain of this affliction anymore.

Daphne Greengrass decided that she was going to give it a try, sick of Draco constantly whining to her about Harry freaking Potter.

“Daph, wait up,” Draco said, jogging and catching up with her in the darkened grounds of the school.

Daphne glanced at him as they walked towards the castle together, both caked in mud after a particularly wet practice session down at the Quidditch Pitch.

“We’re going to massacre Gryffindor in the first game of the season. I need to beat Potter, the arrogant fucking bastard that he is. I have the best strategy plan worked out too, I’m-”

“In complete denial about the fact that you want to take Harry Potter and fuck him against the wall of that bathroom he tried to kill you in?”

Draco stumbled, “What?” he tried to hiss, but sort of squeaked.

“You heard me,” Daphne said, holding her head up high and walking a little faster.

Draco fell over his feet as he hurried to keep up with her, and Daphne smirked. She continued her walk up to the castle, leaving him face down in the mud.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Pansy Parkinson had watched this entire thing go down, torn between feeling sorry for her best friend and pissing herself laughing at his expense. In all honesty she had had to put up with more of his Potter-whining than any other Slytherin here. Apart from perhaps Crabbe and Goyle, but they had been too stupid to work out that it was anything other than hatred. 

So by that logic, Pansy had as much reason to want to end the torment as anyone else. But she did feel sorry for Draco, with his unrequited love for the scrawny, specky boy-who-wouldn’t-bloody-die.

This was why she had held off on using the method that her fellow Slytherins had shown to be so effective. Until that was, she could not take one more moment of his bloody complaining. She was sitting in the common room when he walked in from his dorm room. He immediately sought her out and said, “Pansy, I’m-”

“Gay? Madly in love with Harry Potter? Pathetic in your attempts to get him to notice you? All of the aforementioned?”

Draco’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He stumbled down the last step into the common room and Pansy smirked. They had brought this elegant, aristocratic statue of a man to his knees in the space of a few weeks through the medium of bluntness. That might have seemed an odd thing, but Slytherins were never blunt. They never said what they meant, they walked on eggshells, tiptoed past sleeping dragons, danced around bushes. This approach was so bizarre that it actually worked.

But this time it didn’t.

Draco glared at his best friend, “I’m off to the owlery.”

“Wonderful,” Pansy said with a slight smirk.

“And fuck you Pansy,” Draco added before he stalked out of the room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I have gathered you all here today to-”

“What is this, a fucking funeral?” Theo asked in amusement.

Draco glared at his friend. He was sitting on the teacher’s desk in a disused Potions classroom, and he had gathered Theo, Blaise, Tracey, Daphne and Pansy in this classroom.

“I am making a statement, Theo.”

“Get on with it then,” Daphne said, raising an eyebrow at the blond man.

Draco gave a stiff nod, “I have gathered you all here today to apologise for the past 7 years of tormenting that I have put you through. I am aware that I talk about Harry Potter a little more than I should-”

“A little?”

“Shh, Blaise!”

“And I understand why you felt the need for this intervention you have been staging over the past few weeks,” Draco said with a shaky breath, “So today I will finally confess to you all the truth...the truth I have been holding inside for so long. And I want you all to know that it is no easy thing, and I am only telling you because your friendship is very dear to me.”

“Get on with it!” The Slytherins echoed.

Draco took another breath and blurted out, “I do have a preference for male company and I do have a frustrating weakness for dark-haired, green eyed men in specific and yes, okay, fine! You are all right, I’m in love with Harry Potter!”

A familiar laugh came from the back of the classroom, and Draco’s face paled. There was a flurry of movement and Harry Potter appeared out of nowhere (or so it seemed to those who did not know about the existence of his invisibility cloak). He smirked, and his green eyes sparkled as he stepped into the light.

“Well Malfoy, I never knew you felt that way about me,” Harry said, a satisfied grin appearing on his face.

The Slytherins seemed to be just as stunned by this development as Draco. But Pansy was giggling, and that was a rare sight. Draco’s eyes widened as he realised that he had been entirely set up by his bitch of a best friend (who he loved dearly, really), and that he had just made a complete fool of himself in front of everyone he considered as a friend, and in front of the boy he had fancied for 7 long bloody years. He came to the conclusion that he must do the only thing that a proper upstanding member of the pure-blood society could do in this situation; he fainted.

The End ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the grammar isn't so good in this one. I wrote it then uploaded it, didn't have much time to edit too heavily. Hope you still enjoy it :)


	5. I've Told You Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war is over. Voldemort is dead. The battle has left its mark on Hogwarts castle and Harry Potter is exhausted...and he's also in love with his best friend. But she just kissed his other best friend, and well...that fucking sucks.

Harry was glad that Ron had come back, he honestly was. He had missed his best friend, he and Hermione both had. Ron had saved his life, and destroyed the locket, but that had presented a whole new problem. The problem stemmed from the fact that while Ron had been away Harry had started to feel differently about Hermione. He had always told himself that he saw her as a sister, but during their time alone together he had started to doubt that. Then he had seen Ron’s fear, of Harry kissing Hermione in the locket, and well…Harry had to admit he had feelings for Hermione. He couldn’t tell Ron about that though, so he had lied and said he only thought of Hermione as a friend. He was sure that would come back to bite him in the arse one day, but at the time it had seemed like the right thing to say.

So that was it. They had gotten on with the task at hand, and Harry hadn’t had the time to think about love or romance. Then the Battle of Hogwarts had happened, and when he had finally beaten Voldemort all he wanted to do was sleep, and more to the point, to be alone.

As he dragged himself up to the Gryffindor boy’s dormitory, Harry thought about Hermione, and how the last time he had seen her she had been holding Ron’s hand. Ron had been holding her in the Great Hall as the bodies were covered up and taken away. To add to the rest of the pain Harry was feeling, he now knew that she had chosen Ron. Harry had always known that she would, so while he wasn’t surprised by this turn of events, that didn’t mean he was happy about it. He sighed heavily, it was funny how war could affirm your feelings, and for Harry the final battle had shown him a lot of things. But it hadn’t been the battle that had told him he was in love with Hermione, it had been his death. Out there in that forest he had closed his eyes and watched his life flash before them. Almost every memory involved her, her warm smiles, her sweet smell, her comforting hugs, her kisses on his cheek. She had filled his mind with happy thoughts in what he had expected to be his final moments. When he had woken up from that complete death experience he knew, he knew he was in love with Hermione Granger.

As Harry sank onto his old bed with a deep sigh and shut his eyes, he realised he had company. He opened one eye and saw Neville, watching him with interest from the edge of his bed.

‘Hey Harry,” Neville said.

“Hey Neville,” Harry responded, shutting both eyes again, “What you doing here?”

“Just grabbing a couple of things,” Neville said, “What about you?”

“Sleeping,” Harry mumbled, “And escaping the world.”

“The great saviour is hiding from his crowds of adoring fans?” Neville joked.

“Yeah,” Harry said dryly, “I don’t want to be adored.”

“What about Ron and Hermione?” Neville asked, “Don’t you want to be with them?”

Harry shook his head, “They have each other…and I don’t think seeing Hermione would be the best idea right now.”

“So you’ve finally worked it out?” Neville asked, a smile in his voice.

Harry opened his eyes and frowned at the smile on Neville’s face, “What?”

“Harry, you’ve been in love with her since at least 4th year,” Neville said in amusement, “Probably since before then.”

“Huh?” Harry said in confusion, “But everyone’s been going on about her and Ron since then…”

“Not everyone, probably just the Weasley’s,” Neville pointed out, “The press in 4th year talked about you two, and the rumour mill did all the way through 5th and 6th year.”

“You listen to the rumour mill, Neville?” Harry asked as he chuckled.

“No, but Hannah does,” Neville pointed out in amusement, “And she tells me everything in the library when I’m trying to get work done.”

Harry almost laughed and laughing wasn’t something he had done much of recently, “It doesn’t make a difference now anyway. Hermione and Ron have…they’re together.”

“You ought to tell her anyway,” Neville said as he got to his feet, “how can she make an informed decision without all of the information?”

“You sound like her,” Harry said as he rolled his eyes.

“Believe it or not, Hermione and I are actually quite close,” Neville said with a slight smile, “I know the things she said about you throughout the years, and it didn’t seem to me like she loved you like a brother, let’s put it that way.”

“Neville! Why did you never tell me this before?” Harry asked in disbelief.

“You had to work it out for yourself,” Neville said simply, “But trust me, tell her.”

Harry scoffed, “You can’t talk, it’s not like you told Luna how you feel.”

Neville smirked, “I did actually, I’m on my way to Ravenclaw tower right now.”

Harry raised an eyebrow at his friend, “Really?”

“It’s an advantage of the battle, the magic stopping boys going up the girls staircase isn’t working,” Neville grinned, “See Harry, I’m being brave, like Gryffindors are supposed to be.”

Harry chuckled weakly, “I just saved the bloody world Nev, bugger off and leave me in peace.”

Neville laughed as he left the dorm room, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but Harry hadn’t slept. He had just lain in bed looking at the top of his four-poster, listening to the sounds from outside. He heard footsteps coming up the tower stairs and he assumed it was Ron, or maybe Neville coming back. 

He didn’t expect Hermione to walk through the door, she had changed out of her bloody and torn clothes. She was wearing an old school uniform, it was obviously all that was available but it looked strange, seeing her in that again. They seemed to have grown up so much since they had left school in 6th year.

“Neville told me I’d find you here,” Hermione said as she sat down on the edge of his bed.

“Oh, did he?” Harry asked, shaking his head.

Hermione frowned, “Why did you say it like that?”

“No reason,” Harry said with a smile, “I just talked to him up here earlier. So, how is everyone?”

“They found a couple more bodies in the grounds,” Hermione sighed, “Lavenders was one of them.”

Harry frowned, “How are the Weasleys?”

Hermione shrugged, “As well as they can be, all things considered.”

“How’s Ron?” Harry asked, meeting Hermione’s eye for the first time.

“He’s with his family…he’s torn up, we all are,” Hermione said, her voice breaking slightly.

“You should be with him,” Harry said, looking down at the ground.

Hermione frowned, “What do you mean?”

“Well you two are together now, aren’t you?” Harry asked, as if this were obvious.

“Not exactly,” Hermione sighed, lying down next to Harry on the bed, “I kissed him.”

“I know, I saw it,” Harry said dryly. He had been right in front of them at the time after all.

“It felt like kissing a brother,” Hermione said, turning her head to the side to look at Harry.

“So, what are you going to do about it?” Harry asked, looking in her eyes. She seemed tired.

“I guess I need to tell him, but I don’t know how to with everything that’s happened…” Hermione trailed off, shutting her eyes and sighing.

“Better to do it now than carry on with the charade,” Harry said, “you know Ron, it will only be worse if you string it out.”

“It won’t be easy anyway,” Hermione said with a sigh, “Kissing him in the heat of it like that…he’s going to think that we’re a done deal now. Honestly Harry, his temper scares me and he’s unstable at the moment as it is.”

“Don’t worry,” Harry said, absentmindedly taking her hand, “If he loses his temper I’ll curse him.”

“Don’t be stupid Harry, he’s your best friend,” Hermione said softly.

“No,” Harry said as he tightened his grip on Hermione’s hand, “He isn’t, you are.”

Hermione’s eyes widened in surprise, and Harry continued, “I’ll never forget that he ran away and left us, Hermione. When I needed my friends most he left, you never did. You always stuck around, you always believed in me.”

A solitary tear ran down Hermione’s cheek as she moved closer to him, “What are we going to do now, Harry?”

“What do you mean?” Harry asked, pulling her close to him.

“We’ve always had this hanging over us, and now that it’s gone, what do we do?” Hermione asked weakly, “We’re going to grow apart, aren’t we?”

“We won’t grow apart,” Harry promised her, “We’ve gone through things together that nobody should ever have to go through. We’ll always be close. As for what we do next…well, I think you need to go and find your parents.”

Hermione sighed and nodded, wiping her tears, “That’s a scary prospect, going to Australia on my own. We’ve spent every day together for the past year…it’s going to be hard to adjust.”

“I can come with you, if you want me to,” Harry admitted.

Hermione shook her head, “Don’t be silly, you have far too much to do here.”

“Like what?” Harry asked sarcastically.

“Press conferences, funerals, interviews-”

Harry rolled his eyes, “Exactly, and I’ve never been on holiday before.”

Hermione smiled slightly, “You’d really drop it all and come with me?”

“I’ve always wanted to see Australia,” Harry said and Hermione chuckled.

They were silent for a moment as they lay close together, then Harry decided to take Neville’s advice, “Do you think kissing me would be like kissing a brother?”

Hermione looked up at him and raised her eyebrow, “I don’t know, since I’ve never kissed you.”

“Do you want to?” Harry asked slightly awkwardly.

“Harry…” she said, a tone of warning to her voice.

“Right,” Harry said, looking away from her, “Stupid question really.”

“It’s not a stupid question Harry,” Hermione said softly, “But if you want a girl to kiss you, you’ve got to do better than that.”

When Harry turned to look at her, he realised she was smiling, “Huh?”

“It was far too awkward,” Hermione teased.

Harry was taken aback at first, so he just shook his head in disbelief, “I’ve been awake for so long I’m not sure what’s dreams and what’s reality.”

Hermione laughed and said, “That implies you dream about me.”

“I also talk in my sleep,” Harry pointed out in amusement, “So surely you already know that after sharing a bedroom with me for the past year.”

“Well, yes,” Hermione said with a smile, “But I didn’t want to embarrass you.”

“And I appreciate your thoughtfulness,” Harry said sincerely as he turned to look at her, “So Hermione, can I kiss you?”

“Far less awkward,” Hermione smiled, moving closer to him, “Yes, you can.”

Harry closed the small gap between them and captured her lips in a kiss that took his breath away. It was slow, and gentle, and soft. It wasn’t urgent or needy, it was loving and they both knew they had all of the time in the world, because the war was over. Harry still couldn’t get over the fact he was kissing his best friend though, which could present a whole load of problems.

Hermione broke the kiss, smiling at Harry as she did so, “Definitely not like kissing a brother,” she confirmed.

Harry grinned and said, “Good,” his hand was still in hers and he squeezed it gently, “Definitely not like kissing a sister.”

“What brought this on?” Hermione asked casually, “Had it happened in 4th year, even 5th year, I wouldn’t have been surprised. But now?”

“A couple of things,” Harry said honestly, “The war, you never realise how much you love someone until you’re faced with the very real prospect of never seeing them again. Walking away into the forest…I turned around and I was fairly certain I’d never see you again.”

Hermione nodded as she tried to hold it together, “Me too,” she said.

“But even before that…in Malfoy Manor,” Harry shuddered, “Hearing you and…” he trailed off but Hermione understood.

“Neville reckons I’ve always had a thing for you...apparently I was the only one who didn’t realise,” Harry said, chuckling, “Typical, really.”

Hermione smiled again, “Well it started in 4th year for me, when you and Ron weren’t speaking.”

Harry smiled too as he looked back, “Yeah…looking back I guess it did for me too…”

“Funny how life or death situations can shed light on so much,” Hermione said softly, “I felt things changing between us during the war when Ron was gone, but I didn’t know whether I should act on it or not.”

Harry chuckled, “I felt the same, ironically enough the moment I really knew was when I saw Ron’s greatest fear.”

“What do you mean?” Hermione asked with a frown.

“Before he destroyed the locket, it manifested into his greatest fear…us, kissing,” Harry admitted, “He always knew somewhere that I had feelings for you, I guess.”

“Makes the prospect of telling him I don’t like him the way he likes me, all the worse,” Hermione admitted as she shut her eyes.

“You should try and sleep, Hermione,” Harry said gently, “You’ve been through a lot today, we all have.”

“Hmm,” Hermione said as she rested her head on Harry’s chest, “You should sleep too Harry,” she said as she yawned.

Shutting his eyes, and feeling relaxed for the first time in a long time, Harry did.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry wasn’t sure what time it was when the sun streaming in through the window woke him up, but he did feel refreshed for getting some sleep. He stretched, smiling as he felt Hermione move next to him.

He opened his eyes just as she stirred, “Morning,” he mumbled.

“Morning,” Hermione said with a yawn. Harry smiled as he looked down at her, with her hair frizzy from sleeping and her eyes struggling to stay open she looked incredibly cute.

“What?” Hermione asked self-consciously.

“Nothing,” Harry said with a smile as the door to the dorm banged open and made them both jump.

“Well, you don’t hang around Harry,” Neville smirked as he made his way over to his bed.

Harry rolled his eyes, “Nothing happened Neville.”

“When did you two become so close?” Hermione asked in amusement, not bothering to move from Harry’s bed.

“When Neville became badass,” Harry said matter-of-factly.

Neville grinned and flopped down onto his bed, “So, what’s going on here then?”

Hermione rolled her eyes, “If I didn’t know better Neville, I’d say you’re looking for gossip.”

Neville’s grin widened, “Of course not. So, you didn’t sleep together, you just slept together.”

“Exactly,” Hermione chuckled, “Where have you been all night?”

“Well Neville’s been in Ravenclaw tower,” Harry said with a smirk, “With a certain Miss. Lovegood.”

Hermione smiled, “Well well Neville, you have gone badass.”

“Hermione,” Harry said in surprise, “You swore!”

“I do swear sometimes, Harry,” Hermione said as she chuckled.

“I’ve heard her swear in frustration talking about you,” Neville remarked, “Particularly in 4th year.”

Hermione rolled her eyes, “Oh I know, he was so blind then. I couldn’t have made it anymore obvious I had a crush on him.”

“Even the press knew it and Harry didn’t,” Neville said, shaking his head in Harry’s direction.

“Neville,” Harry said in disbelief, “You are so…gay.”

“Harry!” 

Neville had burst out laughing, “I believe the word is metrosexual, Harry,” he said matter of factly.

Hermione shook her head, but she was laughing, “This feels so…normal.”

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Harry asked her as they both smiled at each other.

“So what are you going to do about Ron?” Neville asked curiously.

“What about me?” Ron asked as the door to the dorm was pushed open and he walked in.

“Oh, hey Ron,” Neville said as Harry and Hermione looked at each other with grimaces.

Ron gaped when he saw Hermione, in Harry’s bed, “Hermione! What are you doing?”

Hermione bit her lip, “Uh, Ron, we should probably talk.”

“Yeah, I think we should,” Ron said, turning his gaze on Harry, “You said you only liked her as a friend, Harry!”

“Ron, it’s complicated-”

“Like hell it is!” Ron snapped, “You lied to me, Harry! And you…” he trailed off, his face turning red with anger, “I don’t even know what to say to you.”

“Ron!” Hermione snapped, “You and I kissed, alright? In the heat of things we kissed and that was a mistake. I don’t like you that way, we’re just friends.”

“You led me on Hermione,” Ron said in an angry undertone.

“Oh come on, people kiss all the time,” Neville pointed out, “It doesn’t always have to lead to marriage and half a dozen kids.”

“Shut up Longbottom, nobody asked you,” Ron snapped.

“Don’t take it out on Neville,” Harry said angrily as he got to his feet.

“Oh so hes your best friend now is he?” Ron spat as Neville conjured up some popcorn and watched the scene with mild interest.

Hermione got to her feet a little shakily too, “Ron, this is between you and me, Harry has nothing to do with it.”

“Yes he does!” Ron shouted, “He stole you from me, like he steals everything! You have everything I bloody want Harry! Do you have to have Hermione too?” 

“I can’t help who I fall in love with, Ron,” Harry said quietly.

“I’m not a possession Ron, I’m a person,” Hermione added angrily, “I make my own choices, and I choose Harry.”

“You’re such a slut Hermione,” Ron hissed, “Kissing me yesterday and then sleeping with him today!”

Hermione burst out crying at these words and Harry reached for his wand to curse Ron. Neville got to his feet, grabbing Harry’s wand and saying, “Don’t”.

“Ron?”

“What is it Neville?” Ron spat.

“Never call a woman that,” Neville said, his voice low and dangerous, “Especially not Hermione.”

Before Ron could consider the fact he was being threatened by Neville he had been punched in the face. He stumbled back against the door and with a string of swear words he stormed down the tower stairs.

He left a silence in his wake as Harry enveloped Hermione in a hug and caught Neville’s eye, “Thank you.”

Neville smiled slightly, “That’s my biggest problem with Ron, maybe it’s because he was mostly surrounding by men growing up, but he has no respect for women.”

“And Hermione deserves to be respected,” Harry said gently.

Hermione smiled weakly at him and said, “Thanks, Neville,” crossing the room to hug him.

Neville smiled as he hugged her back, “All I can say, is thank Merlin you didn’t end up in a relationship with him.”

Hermione nodded, sitting down on the edge of Harry’s bed, “What do we do now?”

“Well,” Harry said, sitting down next to her, “We go to the funerals, and then we get the hell out of here.”

“That sounds like a good plan to me,” Neville said with a fond smile, “Luna wants to go to New Zealand, she’s convinced she’ll find some rare species of goblin out there that hoards jewellery.”

Harry and Hermione both laughed, and Harry said fondly, “That’s our Luna.”

“So are you two a thing then?” Hermione asked with a smile.

Neville smiled as he nodded, “We spent last night talking in the Ravenclaw common room, it was nice.”

“And not a million miles away from how we spent last night,” Harry chuckled as he looked at a clock on the wall opposite.

“I suppose we should go back,” Hermione said, following his line of sight.

Neville nodded, “We can’t hide away from it forever. The place is swarming with reporters now mind you.”

“Great,” Harry said dryly.

“The funerals are taking place tomorrow,” Neville added, “Luna and I are leaving tomorrow night, do you want to come with us?”

Hermione shook her head, “Thanks for the offer Neville, but we’re going to Australia. I sent my parents there to keep them safe in the war, I need to find them.”

Harry put his arm around her as they prepared to venture back into the real world, “But you never know Neville, we could always meet up while we’re there.”

Neville nodded as he flung his cloak on, “Well, I’m pretty sure Luna also wants to go to Australia to hunt for some rare species of whale, so you never know. I’m happy to indulge her fantasies and travel around the world, that seems like a great idea right now.”

“And while she’s hunting for creatures which may or may not exist,” Harry said, “You could always catalogue plant life, you never know what you might find.”

Neville grinned as all three of them made their way down the tower stairs, “That’s the plan,” he said.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As Harry, Hermione and Neville walked towards the Great Hall, Harry realised quite how much damage had been done to the school. There were huge gaping holes in the walls, and about half the windows had been blown out leaving them to walk on bits of shattered glass.

When they got to the entrance hall which was almost completely wrecked by the battle, Luna ran up to Neville and wrapped her arms around him. Neville laughed as he hugged her back, “Ooh, Neville, you owe me 5 galleons!”

Harry frowned, “What did you bet on?”

“You,” Luna said simply.

Neville elaborated, “I said you wouldn’t have the guts to tell Hermione, but Luna thought you would.”

“How do you even know I did?” Harry asked Luna in bemusement.

Luna smiled at them, “I can see it in your eyes,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Of course you can,” Hermione chuckled.

The door to the great hall was ajar, and the tables had been put back in their rightful place. The bodies were gone, and tomorrow they would be buried in the grounds, in a new graveyard for that purpose. It was to centre around Dumbledore’s tomb, and Harry knew it would be a difficult day.

Harry slipped his hand into Hermione’s, and she frowned, “Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“Do you care what the world thinks?” Harry asked, “Because I’ve just been through a war and all I care about right now is being close to you.”

Hermione smiled, tightening her grip on Harry’s hand as they walked into the great hall. The response was typical, it erupted in cheers and shouts for the saviour, Harry just wanted to roll his eyes. Cameras clicked and flashed at all angles, but they ignored them as they walked towards the Weasley’s.

Molly and Arthur got to their feet and enveloped them both in a hug which became a bear hug as Bill, Charlie, George and Percy all joined in. The fact Harry and Hermione were holding hands hadn’t gone amiss, but that wasn’t what was important right now. 

“Merlin, we’re so glad you’re okay,” Molly said to them as they all pulled away. Ginny was sitting at the table, watching Harry with slightly narrowed eyes.

“Although…” Molly said, “It looks like you two have something to tell us,” she was smiling slightly.

“Uh,” Harry admitted awkwardly, “Well…um…it’s…what kind of happened was…well it’s complicated but…”

Neville, who was hovering nearby jumped in to save him, “Harry’s had a crush on Hermione since they were about 14, but for ages he had this battle in his head about whether he liked her as a friend or a sister or more, and he got all messed up because of it so he didn’t say anything.”

George was nodding, as if he had seen this coming, whereas everybody else just seemed bemused.

“Then during the war when Ron ran away, they started having feelings for each other, then Ron came back, and it got complicated again because Ron had feelings for Hermione too.”

The Weasley’s frowned as they attempted to follow the story, and Bill shook his head, obviously angry at Ron for running away.

“Then the battle happened, and Hermione realised she liked Harry, not Ron. So they’re together now, but Ron’s not very happy about it and he called Hermione a slut, which I punched him in the face for. Sorry, my bad.”

“Neville, breathe,” George joked, “Are you taking notes from Hermione?”

Hermione shot the Weasley a glare and punched him in the arm, he grinned.

“He called you a slut?” Percy asked angrily, “What a prick!”

“Percy!” Molly chastised, “Thank you Neville dear, for knocking some sense into him.”

“I hope you hit him hard,” Charlie added.

“Oh, I tried,” Neville said casually.

“Thanks Neville,” Harry said in amusement, “For expressing my thoughts better than I can.”

“No problem, Harry,” Neville said, patting him on the back, “Right, where the heck did Luna go this time?” he asked as he wandered off.

“When did they get so close?” George asked.

“I have no idea, it just seems to have happened,” Hermione said honestly, shaking her head in amusement.

“Well, we’re happy for you,” Arthur said with a smile, “Even if Ron isn’t. We lost one member of our family today, we don’t want to lose two more.”

Molly sniffled, and Bill said, “Ron will come to his senses soon enough.”

“Wait until he realises hes famous now,” George remarked.

“He’ll be happy the moment he realises that a single mention of the war will get him laid,” Charlie added.

“Charlie!”

“Sorry Mum!”

Harry and Hermione laughed along with the others, and for a moment it felt normal again. Until…

“Harry, can I talk to you for a second?” Ginny asked.

“Sure,” Harry said, dropping Hermione’s hand with a smile and walking a short distance away with Ginny.

“What’s going on?” Ginny asked with a frown, “I thought after the war, you’d come back and we would…” she trailed off.

“I’m sorry, Ginny,” Harry said, “But the war changed me, and I realised that as great as you are, we’re better as friends.”

Ginny smiled a little sadly, “We were sort of childhood sweethearts, and as nice as it is to pretend…well those things never last.”

“You’ll be okay,” Harry said honestly, “In fact you’ll be far better off without me, I think. I’m far too whiny for you.”

Ginny laughed weakly, “You’ve got that right.”

Harry held out his hand to her, “You’re still one of my best friends, you always will be.”

Ginny smiled, ignoring his hand and instead hugging him, “I’m happy for you and Hermione, Harry,” she said, “I really am, I can’t believe it didn’t happen sooner really. Ever since the Quidditch World Cup I’d started wondering.”

“Apparently everybody noticed it but me,” Harry said as they re-joined the main group.

“Well you always were rather oblivious,” Ginny pointed out.

Hermione smirked, “You can say that again.”

Harry rolled his eyes, “Are you ever going to let me live that down?”

“Probably not,” Hermione teased.

Harry chuckled and wrapped up some toast in a napkin, Hermione smiled at the memories it provoked.

“Fancy a walk?” Harry asked, and Hermione smiled, taking his outstretched hand and getting up from the bench.

“Sure,” Hermione said.

So with one hand in Hermione’s, and the other carrying the toast, Harry left the great hall. They left the school, and they walked across the grounds towards the lake, towards the place Harry had died the night before…he supposed he ought to tell Hermione about that.

“What happened out here, Harry?” Hermione asked as they nibbled on toast, sitting on a large rock by the lake.

“I died,” Harry said honestly, throwing a bit of toast to the giant squid.

“You didn’t really die,” Hermione said with a frown, “You were just faking it, weren’t you?”

“Yes, and no,” Harry said thoughtfully, “There was a horcrux inside of me, Voldemort created it accidentally the night he killed my parents. That was why I didn’t die, and that’s why I have this scar,” he pointed to the lightning bolt on his forehead.

Hermione fixed him with a strong stare, “Explain.”

“That was what the prophecy meant,” Harry told her, “Neither can live while the other survives. I couldn’t kill Voldemort because a part of him lived inside me. Voldemort couldn’t kill me because he’d be killing a part of himself.”

“So you had to die, for someone else to kill Voldemort,” Hermione realised.

Harry nodded, “Which was why I went to him, in the forest.”

“And he killed you?” Hermione asked in disbelief.

“He killed me, but because I had walked in there knowing I was going to die to save those I loved, it didn’t work,” Harry said as he looked at Hermione, “He killed the part of himself in me, but not me.”

“So you came back to life…” Hermione realised, “And pretended to be dead. Didn’t they check to make sure you had died?”

“He asked Narcissa Malfoy to check,” Harry said honestly, “She asked me if Draco was alive, and I said yes. So she told Voldemort I was dead.”

“Wow,” Hermione said as she took all of this in, “For a while…until you came back, I really thought you were dead,” her voice broke, “and you didn’t even say goodbye.”

“I couldn’t,” Harry said, holding her hand tightly, “If I’d tried to say goodbye you would have tried to stop me, then I’d never have been able to do it, and I needed to.”

“You’re so brave, Harry,” Hermione whispered as she kissed him on the cheek.

Harry shrugged, and looked out over the lake which seemed so peaceful, “I’ve missed this.”

“Me too,” Hermione said softly, resting her head against his shoulder.

It was over. It was finally over.

THE END :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's pretty feeble. I've written way more Harmony stories (oneshots and multi chaps) with much better stories that are written so much better. But they are all over on my fanfiction.net account and I can't transfer stories from there to here unfortunately! :(


	6. In These Ruins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Drarry :) 
> 
> When Draco and Harry have a heartfelt chat in the ruins of Hogwarts after the final battle, their lives take very different courses. 
> 
> Can be read as Drarry, or Draco/Harry friendship.

It was all over, but not everyone was celebrating. Draco Malfoy could not just switch off all of the pain and suffering that he had seen. He could not just cheer and laugh and celebrate like the others in the great hall. All he felt as he wandered through the deserted corridors of the ruin that had once been Hogwarts, was relief and pain.

His parents were gone now, they had left the moment that it ended. Draco did not know what would happen to them, but he suspected they would be punished for their involvement, and that they would likely end up in Azkaban. He could even end up in Azkaban for his involvement, he had not killed anyone, he had not even wanted to hurt anyone but he knew it was a possibility. 

He sighed and walked through a door that had been pulled off of its hinges, onto a stone bridge that connected two of the schools towers together. He absentmindedly kicked a bit of rubble off the bridges broken edge and walked into the empty tower on the other side. It was eerie, walking through Hogwarts with nobody around, even the ghosts were all gathered in the great hall. 

Draco was almost certain that he would not see anyone as he climbed a spiral staircase to the top of the tower and forced open a locked door into an old Defence against the Dark Arts classroom. He was incredibly surprised when he saw someone else here because this tower was rarely used for classes, and he did not even know that anyone else knew about it.

It was clear from a quick glance at the back of the person’s head that it was Harry Potter, he would recognise that jet black mop anywhere. Draco contemplated leaving and hoped that he had not been spotted yet. But unfortunately for him, Harry turned around.

“What are you doing here Malfoy?” He asked bitterly, “I thought you would have run back home with your Mummy and Daddy by now.”

“I decided to stay,” Draco said stiffly, “To help with the restoration of the castle.”

“How generous of you,” Harry muttered.

Draco rolled his eyes, “The real question Potter, is what are you doing up here? Shouldn’t you be in the great hall where they’re all celebrating your victory?”

“You make it sound like I won a Quidditch game,” Harry said, “Why would I want to celebrate? Do you know how many people I lost tonight?”

Draco sat down on one of the dusty desks and said, “I think everyone lost someone tonight.”

The windows were blown out up here and it was a little chilly as dawn began to break through the darkness. 

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many, to so few.”

Harry frowned, “Is that your way of saying thank you?”

Draco didn’t respond for a moment, “I suppose it is.”

“Wait,” Harry’s frown deepened, “Isn’t that a…muggle quote?”

Draco nodded, “Winston Churchill said it in World War two, after the Battle of Britain.”

Harry didn’t have the time or energy to hide the surprise on his face. Draco smiled ever so slightly, “I do read muggle books, Potter.”

“What does it mean?” Harry asked curiously.

“That depends on your perception,” Draco said honestly, “Applied in the case of this war I suppose it means that never in any wizarding war, has the whole country owed so much to so few people.”

“Those few being?”

“You, Granger, Weasley…the Order of the Phoenix,” Draco elaborated, turning his gaze to the window. Dawn was now beginning to break through the cracks with its harsh, bright orange light. Draco just studied the sky, more intensely than Harry had ever seen anyone look to the heavens.

Harry didn’t speak for a moment, he and Draco had been civil just there. They had managed to have a whole conversation without arguing or insulting each other.

“What are you doing up here anyway Malfoy?”

“I like it up here,” Draco said simply, “It’s usually empty and quiet. I didn’t even know anyone else knew about it.”

Harry shrugged, “I come here sometimes when I want to be alone.”

“So do I,” Draco said.

“Well, I was here first,” Harry said, “I’m not leaving.”

“Neither am I,” Draco said stiffly.

They didn’t speak for a good while as the sky was illuminated in a painfully bright orange which shone into the room, giving light to every corner. 

“Thanks Malfoy.”

“What for?” Draco asked.

“In the courtyard when I revealed that I was alive… you threw me my wand,” Harry said, catching the Slytherins eye.

Draco shrugged and said, “You’re welcome. Thanks, for saving my life from the fiendfyre.”

“As much as we have disagreed in the past, I would never just leave you to die,” Harry said honestly.

“You’re too noble,” Draco remarked.

“Gryffindor trait,” Harry said with the hints of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“There isn’t a point continuing this rivalry,” Draco said.

“Rivalry?” Harry asked with a raised eyebrow, “Is that what it is?”

Draco frowned, “What else would it be?”

“Hatred,” Harry said bluntly.

“I never hated you, Potter,” Draco said, surprised that Harry thought that he had.

“Really?” Harry said sceptically, “Because you kind of acted like you did.”

Draco shrugged and said, “I was jealous of you actually, and bitter.”

“Why were you bitter?” Harry asked in disbelief.

“Because I extended the offer of friendship to you and you denied it. Trust me, people don’t say no to me very often,” Draco said, the hint of smile on his lips.

“So you acted like you hated me because you were pissed that I didn’t become your friend?” Harry asked.

“Pretty much,” Draco said, “And also because my Father gave me two options. Befriend you, or have nothing to do with you.”

“I’ll never understand your family Malfoy,” Harry remarked.

“Trust me, neither will I,” Draco said.

“Although your Mother did save my life. It was for selfish reasons, but she saved my life all the same,” Harry said, “Did you know that?”

Draco shook his head.

“She told Voldemort I was dead, but she knew I was alive. She asked me if you were alive, and I said you were so she lied to Voldemort,” Harry said.

Draco frowned, “She lied to the Dark Lord?”

“Never underestimate a Mother’s love,” Harry said, “It can do extraordinary things.”

“Is that how you survived him twice? Love?” Draco asked.

At first Harry thought he was being sarcastic, but then he realised that the Slytherin was serious so he answered with a vaguely honest answer, “That was part of it.”

Draco didn’t push the issue anymore, “They’ll go to Azkaban, my parents.”

“Your Mother won’t,” Harry said, “And neither will you.”

“How do you know?” Draco asked.

Harry shrugged, “It’s just a feeling,” he said as he pushed himself off of the desk, wincing in pain.

“You should probably go to the hospital wing,” Draco said.

Harry shook his head, “Other people are much worse off than I am. Do you want your Father to go to Azkaban, Malfoy?”

Draco shrugged at the question and didn’t reply. Harry began to walk towards the door before he heard the Slytherins response, “Yes.”

Harry turned in the doorway, “You’d wish that on your own family?”

“Not my family,” Draco said, not catching Harry’s eye, “But my Father deserves to go to prison for what he’s done. He should have the years taken from him that he took from-” he cut himself off and stopped himself from saying, ‘me’ then took a deep breath, “Other people.”

Harry gave a brisk nod, “Then I expect he will. See you around Malfoy.”

Not understanding Harry’s cryptic remarks Draco pushed them aside and looked back out at the sunrise, listening to Harry’s footsteps echo down the tower stairs.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The trial took place two weeks after the final battle. The Malfoy family were the first to be tried, and they were being tried as a family. Lucius Malfoy was sure that he would get away with it, like he had in the first war, so he stood proud with a slightly sly smile on his face as they waited in the middle of the court room. Draco sighed, he had lost weight in the two weeks since the battle, he was pale and anxious. He was certain that he would be sent to Azkaban. His Mother didn’t look any better, Narcissa’s face was gaunt and she was far too thin.

Draco couldn’t believe how his Father could stand there and be smug and sly when his family were falling apart next to him because of his decisions. It made him hate the man all the more. 

He tried to listen to the proceedings, but things blurred out and in the end he could only pick out the odd word or sentence. His senses picked up when the verdicts were being revealed however, and his heart pounded with fear.

“Draco Malfoy,” The Judge said, “The jury have decided to drop all charges against you because of the aid you provided to the side of the light in the final battle, and because you never caused serious bodily harm or death to any person.’

Draco couldn’t believe his luck, he was getting off completely free. No time in Azkaban, no probation, he was a free man.

“Narcissa Malfoy,” The judge continued, “The jury have decided to drop all charges in light of the fact your home was commandeered by Death Eaters against your will, and due to the fact you suffered heavily yourself because of this. Like your son, you did not cause serious bodily harm or death to any person.”

His Mother seemed just as surprised at the verdict, and his Fathers smug expression was growing by the second. Draco despised him, and he knew there was very small chance that he would actually be punished for his crimes. 

“Lucius Malfoy,” The judge said, turning his steely gaze to his Father, “The jury have found you guilty of all war crimes, including multiple counts of murder and torture. We hereby sentence you to a lifetime in Azkaban prison.”

Draco’s surprise was mirrored in his Mother’s eyes, she looked horrified, and for a second Draco felt guilty for wishing this upon his Father as the man’s reserve broke down. In the end he was dragged screaming and shouting from the court room, while Draco and Narcissa got to walk out free. 

Even in the sorry state he was in however, Lucius Malfoy still managed to call in one last favour. One last day with his family, a chance to say goodbye before spending his life holed up in Azkaban. It was the last thing that Draco wanted, because he knew his Father didn’t really want to say goodbye, he wasn’t that affectionate. There was some other ulterior motive involved, which his Mother knew too, she had suffered his abuse for far longer than Draco had after all.

His last day, his goodbye, turned out to be almost exactly as bad as Draco thought it would be.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Knock. Knock

“Sorry Ron,” Harry said through the fireplace at Grimmauld Place, “Someone’s at the door.”

Ron raised an eyebrow, “Who’d be at your place at this time of night?”

“I have no idea,” Harry said honestly, “But I suppose I better check. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Sure thing mate,” Ron said, his face disappearing and the fire turning back to its normal colour. 

Harry pulled his wand from his back pocket as he waked to the door. The war had made him paranoid, and it was rather late for anyone to be calling round at his house. He opened the door warily and raised his wand. But he almost dropped that wand in surprise when he saw the hunched, blonde-haired figure standing on the doorstep in the pouring rain.

“Malfoy!”

He looked up, his face bloody and bruised.

“What the hell happened to you?” Harry asked as he ushered his former enemy into his house.

Draco leant against the wall weakly, soaking wet and looking like he might collapse at any minute, “My Father…”

Harry frowned, “But…I thought he was imprisoned last week,” he said.

Draco shook his head and said, “He found a loophole to say ‘goodbye’ to his family.”

Harry’s face was alight with anger as he took Draco’s arm and led him into his living room, “He did this to you?” he asked as he pushed Draco into an armchair and performed a couple of drying charms.

Draco nodded, but said no more.

“Why?” Harry asked as he inspected Draco’s injuries and contemplated calling Hermione, she knew the most medical magic.

“Because he was convinced I ratted him out and that was why he got time in Azkaban, and I didn’t,” Draco said.

Harry’s face fell, and Draco caught it before he had the chance to cover it up.

“You don’t have anything to do with this Potter, do you?”

“I… I vouched for you and your Mother,” Harry admitted, “But from what you said to me the morning after the final battle, you didn’t want your Father to be vouched for.”

Draco didn’t say anything as he eyed Harry suspiciously, “I didn’t, but then I also didn’t expect him to try and torture me to death.”

“Why did you come here?” Harry asked.

Draco shrugged, wincing afterwards, “I didn’t have anywhere else to go,” he admitted reluctantly.

“Is your Mother okay?” Harry asked with genuine concern.

“As okay as someone can be after suffering 5 crucio attacks in a row,” Draco said bitterly, “She’s in St. Mungo’s with my Aunt.”

“You should be in St. Mungo’s too Malfoy,” Harry said, finding it strange and slightly surreal that Draco Malfoy was in his house after all that had happened while they were at school together. 

Draco shook his head, “I’m fine, just a couple of light cuts and some bruises.”

“Looks more like deep gashes,” Harry remarked, “And two black eyes. How many crucio attacks did he put you through?”

Draco stayed silent, and Harry said, “Come on Malfoy, I can tell when injuries have been caused by crucio. I’m going to become an Auror.”

He sighed, and Harry added slightly more softly, “Your Father won’t find you here. You can stop protecting him and his secrets now.”

“It was only three times,” Draco said, “I’ve had much worse, it’s fine.”

Harry didn’t say anything for a moment. He surveyed Draco, wondering why he was being so open and civil, then he smelled the firewhiskey on the Slytherins breath.

“You haven’t broken anything have you?” Harry asked as he opened a glass cupboard and took out two glasses and a bottle of firewhiskey.

Draco shook his head and accepted the glass that Harry had handed him, “Thanks Potter.”

Harry just nodded and sipped from his glass, Draco’s face was swollen up and red with blood, dark marks were forming under both of his eyes and he seemed to be covering up an injury to his side.

“Can I have a look?” Harry asked, “At your injuries?”

Draco snorted, ‘What do you know about healing Potter? Aurors just run in and don’t worry about the mess they leave behind.”

“Not anymore,” Harry said, “Councillors are required by law to review the aftermath of every case now.”

He snorted again, “That’s great, wish they’d done that 10 years ago.”

“Your Father abused you, didn’t he Draco?” Harry asked.

He wasn’t surprised when he didn’t get an answer so Harry said, “Because if he did, I know how it feels. My Uncle beat the shit out of me when I was a little kid, and he let his son do the same.”

“Yeah right Potter,” Draco said, “You’re the boy who lived, are you sure you weren’t raised in a castle?”

Harry raised an eyebrow at the former Slytherin, “Malfoy, my bedroom until I was 11 was the cupboard under the stairs because my cousin was such a spoiled brat he needed two bedrooms. I might be a hero in the wizarding world, but I was a freak in the muggle world and I paid for it.”

Draco seemed to narrow his eyes, but it was hard to tell since they were so swollen up, “I don’t buy it.”

“Well then I’ll show you when you’re well enough to take a trip into a pensieve,” Harry said bitterly.

“My Father only did what any pure-blood man does to his children,” Draco said angrily, “He protected me. He was trying to make me into the right kind of young man, the kind of person he wanted me to be.”

The bitterness in Draco’s voice was hard to listen to, even from Harry who had hated the boy for years. He was now beginning to sympathise with him however. After all, they had gone through pretty similar childhoods.

“Is that what you really think or what he brainwashed you into thinking?” Harry asked.

Draco’s eyes flashed and with a flick of his wand Harry had forced his high school enemy into a deep sleep. Yawning himself, and still bewildered by the events of the night he levitated him upstairs so he could sleep in a bed, not on the sofa.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Draco Malfoy opened his eyes groggily, his surroundings weren’t those of his bedroom in the Manor. They weren’t that different either though… he was lying in a four poster bed with thick green curtains and the walls were covered in Slytherin regalia.

He frowned as he sat up, wincing only slightly. The majority of his injuries from the night before were gone, but the last thing he really remembered was showing up on Potters doorstep. He had been drinking, so his mind was a little foggy. He got to his feet, noticing the blood was gone from his clothes as he pushed open the door and walked out onto the landing of a draughty, grim looking staircase.

He glanced back at the door and the one opposite it, “Regulus” and “Sirius”, hadn’t Potters Godfather been Sirius Black? Draco thought to himself, maybe this was his house. He made his way down the stairs cautiously, past the mounted heads of dead house elves and into the hall where he smelt cooking.

Following it down a staircase he arrived in what was clearly the kitchen, although it was dusty and cold. Standing over the oven whistling was Potter.

“Morning,” he said as he turned around.

“Where am I?”

“In my house,” Harry replied.

“This is your house?” Draco asked in disbelief.

“Not really, it’s my Godfathers house, but he left it to me when he died,” Harry said.

“Right,” Draco said, sitting down at the table, “So I just showed up here last night?”

“Pretty much,” Harry said simply, “Then you passed out so I put you in Regulus’s old room.”

“Sorry,” Draco said sheepishly, “I was-”

“Drunk, I noticed,” Harry said, “Although you were still being an arse.”

Draco chuckled, “Thanks, for healing me and all, you should have just kicked me out.”

Harry shrugged, “I sympathised with you. Do you like bacon, sausages and egg?”

Draco nodded, and watched Harry in bemusement as he put the food onto two plates before sitting down opposite Draco and shoving a plate in front of him.

“Why are you so comfortable with me in your house?”

“Besides what you may think, you’re not that scary Malfoy,” Harry said through a mouthful of sausage. 

“Huh,” Draco said simply as he stabbed a bit of bacon, “So was your Godfather in Slytherin?”

Harry shook his head, “Nah, the Blacks are a very old pure-blood family, the rest of them were all in Slytherin. My Godfather was in Gryffindor and his family hated him for it, he ran away and lived with my Dad as soon as he was old enough.”

Draco didn’t say anything, and for a moment they ate in silence.

“I’m not going back, to the Manor,” Draco said, “I don’t know why I’m telling you that.”

Harry chuckled, “Because it’s better to say it out-loud than to think it over and over in your head? I am surprised, I thought you’d go back for your Mothers sake.”

Draco snorted, “A Mother who was too scared of her Husband to even try and stop him from trying to kill his son? I don’t think so.”

“She lied to Voldemort for you,” Harry said, “She told him I was dead because I gave her information on you.”

Draco’s eyes flickered briefly, “I know, but it’s a little too late.”

“So what are you going to do?” Harry asked curiously.

Draco shrugged, “I don’t know, get my life together, try and find someone who’ll employ an ex-Death Eater with a reputation like mine.”

“You’ll get a job,” Harry said, “Your record is fairly clean after that hearing.”

“Which I assume you had something to do with,” Draco said.

Harry only smiled.

“Thanks for this, Potter,” Draco said gesturing around as he got to his feet, “I’ll see you around.”

“You can come round here whenever you want,” Harry said, “It’s just me and the dead house elves.”

Draco snorted, “Cheerful lot, aren’t they?”

“Aren’t all pure-bloods this morbid?” Harry asked with a snigger as they walked up the stairs to the hall.

“They’re either incredibly morbid, or incredibly extravagant,” Draco said matter-of-factly.

Harry laughed, “Figures.”

“I’ll let myself out,” Draco said with a forced smile, “See you Potter.”

“See you,” Harry said with a brief wave as he shut the front door on Draco’s retreating back. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Potter.”

“Malfoy,” Harry said with a slight smile when he walked into the former Slytherin in Diagon Alley.

“I heard you joined Auror training,” Draco said.

Harry nodded, “Well, I needed to do something and it’s all I’ve got experience in. Did you figure your life out yet?”

Draco shrugged, “Sort of,” he said, “Are you in a hurry?”

Harry shook his head, “I’ve got all of the time in the world.”

“Mind if I buy you lunch?” Draco asked, “As a thank you for that…breakdown, of mine.”

Harry laughed, “Breakdown? I wouldn’t say it was quite that bad, but I won’t say no to lunch either.”

Draco gave him a slight smile, “I know a good place in muggle London,” he said.

“Since when did you become so cordial with me?” Harry asked curiously as they walked together.

Draco snorted, “I’m just being polite Potter.”

“You just can’t stand the thought of being seen as nice,” Harry said in amusement, “Did you end up getting a job in the law department?”

Draco smirked slightly, “I’m a junior lawyer.”

“I’m not surprised,” Harry said as they neared the muggle place that Draco had mentioned, “Aren’t all lawyers slimy gits?”

“Aren’t all Aurors pretentious Gryffindors?” Draco combatted.

Harry grinned, “Touché.”

Draco smirked as they walked into the café and sat down, “I started last week, its not bad. They all look at me like I’m going to start murdering people at any minute, but apart from that I can handle it.”

Harry chuckled, “Auror training is tough, but nothing harder than what I’ve already done.”

“Not that you’re at all cocky about it,” Draco remarked.

“I saved the entire Wizarding World and killed the darkest, evillest wizard ever at the age of 17,” Harry said with a grin, “I think I have the right to be cocky about that.”

Echoing Harry’s earlier words Draco said, “Touché.”

“Anyway, if you’ve got such a flashy lawyer job I assume you found a place to live?” Harry asked, “Or did you just go home?”

“I’ve not been home since that night,” Draco said darkly, “And my Father is still in Azkaban, rightfully. I haven’t found anywhere yet, the pay isn’t great as a junior.”

“So where are you staying?” Harry asked curiously.

“The Leaky Cauldron,” Draco said with a sigh, “My Mother has cut me off, on my Father’s order, which means no inheritance.”

“I’ve just bought a new flat,” Harry said after a moment of trepidation, “It’s in muggle London, close enough to the Ministry, and it’s got two fireplaces.”

“Sounds lovely,” Draco said.

“Well, it has two bedrooms,” Harry said, “You could stay there if you want.”

Draco’s eyes widened, but his mouth remained shut, Harry waffled, “It’s just an idea, I mean you’d still have to pay bills and help buy food, but there’s no mortgage.”

Draco never took chances, everything was meticulous and thought out in his world, so when he opened his mouth and said, “Sure,” he surprised himself as much as he surprised Harry. 

Harry’s eyes widened too, he obviously hadn’t expected that answer, but he smiled and said, “Good, well, I’ll show you around after lunch.”

Draco nodded, letting a small smile slip onto his face, “That would be nice,” he said calmly when his stomach was actually doing flips. He had never had friends of the proper sort, just allies and bodyguards. This was his chance, the one he had missed in 1st year by being a cocky, pompous git, and he wasn’t about to watch it whizz by him again.

The End :)


	7. Salazars Kitchen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Albus Severus Potter's 17th birthday party and he has insisted on going to Amour Bouffe for his birthday dinner. There's only one problem, Draco Malfoy owns the restaurant and is also the Head chef there... Albus/Severus and kinda Drarry, but only if you want to see it that way :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on a tumblr post by ‘electric-prince’. This one here;
> 
> “OK BUT I SWEAR TO GOD I COULD SEE DRACO GROWING UP TO BE GORDON RAMSAY LIKE NO JOKE.  
> “THIS QUICHE LOOKS LIKE VOLDEMORTS ASS. I WOULD KNOW.”  
> “SO MUCH GINGER IN IT, IT COULD BE A WEASLEY”  
> “THE BOY-WHO-LIVED? MORE LIKE THE-BOY-WHO-CAN’T-BLOODY-FUCKING-COOK”

Harry felt incredibly old. He was wearing a pair of dress robes, his wife was wearing a dress and currently fixing her earrings and her hair. He looked at himself in the mirror, there were a good few grey hairs amongst the black ones now. He was 43 years old, 43. How was he 43 already? 

Tonight the entire family were going out for his youngest son, Albus’s 17th birthday dinner. Albus had been insistent that they go to Amour Bouffe, a restaurant which Harry generally avoided because it was owned by Draco Malfoy, and he was also the head chef there.

However, Scorpius Malfoy was also 17 and he happened to be Albus’s best friend. They were both in Slytherin, and they had been friends since they were 11 years old. Harry had seen Draco in the passing a few times, but he still didn’t trust the man not to spit in his food if he dined in his restaurant. Albus had apparently spoken to Scorpius, and Draco had promised to be on his best behaviour, not that his word meant much to Harry.

Albus’s birthday was on the 1st of January. It made dining out difficult because most places were pretty fully booked on New Year’s Day. Ginny had made this reservation months ago however, upon Albus’s insistence. He was home from Hogwarts, and so was his younger sister Lily. James had left school and was training as an Auror, but Albus was still in his 7th year and he was also Head Boy. His best friend Scorpius, was the captain of the Quidditch team. Together they effectively ruled Slytherin. Lily Luna was the youngest, she was in 5th year and she was a Gryffindor, but her brother had never made her feel excluded because of that. Albus was the odd one out in the family, because James had been a Gryffindor too.

Ginny hooked her arm through Harry’s and they headed downstairs where the three children were waiting for them. James was leaning in the doorway, he was the tallest of the children. He had Harry’s dark hair, but his Mothers hazel eyes. Albus was Harry’s carbon copy from his messy dark hair to his emerald green eyes. Lily was the only redhead, her hair was a beautiful shade of auburn and her hazel eyes made her look all the more like her Mother.

The family floo-ed to the restaurant and waited to be shown to their seats.

“This is pretty swish,” James said as he looked around the restaurant.

“It’s a bit too white for my liking,” Harry said. The walls were white, the floor was white, the tables were white, “It reminds me of a hospital.”

Ginny rolled her eyes, “You’ll say anything bad about this place because of the fact that Malfoy owns it. White is trendy at the moment, Harry.”

“It still looks like a hospital,” Harry muttered.

Albus shot his brother an amused look, they were determined to make their Father like the restaurant by the end of the evening. A polite waiter showed them to their table, which was a very nice table. It was close to the kitchens and they had a lovely view out over Diagon Alley.

“Bit less like a hospital now Daddy? Lily asked with a triumphant smile.

Harry tried not to roll his eyes, “Slightly,” he said as they were given menus.

They ordered wine for themselves and James, and soft drinks for Albus and Lily. Albus could drink now that he was 17, but he had said that he didn’t want to. Their drinks arrived, and they ordered starters. Harry would not admit it, but the food was actually very good, as was the wine. He got to his feet before the main arrived, claiming that he needed to go to the toilet, but in all seriousness, he was just being nosy. He slipped down the hallway to the toilet, but paused in the doorway to the kitchen when he saw Draco Malfoy milling around.

The chef whites suited him in an odd way. Harry would have thought that white would have washed him out, but he looked very professional as he commanded that kitchen. Harry found himself being drawn in as he watched Malfoy walk around, tasting food from pots and making faces as he did so. When he wasn’t happy about something, he made it very clear.

“Fucking hell Abrahams!” Draco said, throwing a spoon into the sink aggressively, “There’s so much ginger in that bloody stew it could be a fucking Weasley!”

Abrahams grabbed the pot with both hands, “I’ll start again chef, sorry chef!”

“Yes, do!” Malfoy snapped.

Harry had to hide his amused grin as Malfoy walked over to another chef and gave a row full of quiches a good inspection. When he reached the last plate he scoffed, “Which idiot made this one?”

“Me chef.”

“Williams, are you fucking blind! That quiche looks like Voldemort’s fucking arse!”

Harry nearly choked on the laughter he was trying to hold in.

“You’d know chef,” Williams said irritably, “You kissed it often enough!”

“Well done Williams, you just lost your job. Get the fuck out of my kitchen. Jacobs, make me another quiche and if it looks like an ass you better kiss mine to keep your fucking job!”

“Yes chef!”

Malfoy shook his head in disbelief and stepped to another area of the kitchen where gourmet steak sandwiches were being prepared, “What the fuck is this Smith?”

“A steak sandwich chef.”

“That’s not a steak fucking sandwich! There’s no steak in it you imbecile!”

“Sorry chef, I’ll fix that chef.”

Draco rolled his eyes and grabbed the empty baguette. He ripped it in half and placed a piece of bread on either side of the man, Jacobs, face, “What the fuck are you Jacobs?”

“An idiot sandwich chef.”

“Too right you are. Make another one.”

“Yes chef.”

Harry hadn’t actually needed the toilet when he left the restaurant. But he was laughing so much that he really did now. Malfoy was a brutal chef, but his workers clearly respected him for the most part and were used to the way that he worked. This restaurant had 5 stars and it had amazing food, but clearly a tough love approach was used to garner that success.

Draco groaned in frustration, “Bloody New Year’s Day and I’m stuck in this kitchen with you idiots when I should be at home watching shit films with my son while my wife gets drunk on red wine and reminisces about the good old days when I used to screw her.”

The workers in the kitchen laughed, and Harry could tell that he had a good relationship with them, despite all of the shouting, and the insults. Maybe he insulted the people he liked, maybe him and Harry had been friends all along without Harry realising. He snorted at the idea.

“Oh for Salazar’s sake Robertson! Is this meant to be ready to go out?” Malfoy asked as he picked up a piece of beef.

“Yes chef.”

“You can’t fucking serve that! It’s so rare it could be a fucking inferi!” Malfoy shouted as he tossed the bit of beef into the bin, “Make another one, now!”

“Yes chef.”

Harry was going to burst if he didn’t go to the toilet soon, but this was priceless. It was top quality entertainment, Merlin, Harry couldn’t help but think that Malfoy should open another kitchen with an open restaurant.

“Ugh Lawson!” Malfoy said as he chewed on a piece of chicken, “Have you seasoned this meat?”

“Yes chef.”

“Well you clearly haven’t done enough! It’s so bland even a bloody Thestral wouldn’t eat it! Thyme, marjoram and sage for fucks sake!”

“Yes chef, sorry chef.” 

“Abrahams! Are these haggis bolls going to table 4?” Malfoy asked, and Harry started slightly. That was his table, and Albus had ordered the haggis bolls.

“Yes chef.”

“Not like that they aren’t,” Malfoy snapped, “I would rather eat dragon shit than put one of those in my mouth. I am not serving them to my sons boyfriend!”

“Yes chef.”

Harry was startled by that. He knew Scorpius was Albus’s best friend, and he also knew that Al had never had a girlfriend. But boyfriend? Scorpius was his boyfriend? Why had Al not told him that?

“Why are there no chunks of pumpkin in this pumpkin soup you fuckwit?”

Harry glanced up to see Malfoy berating someone else, “We ran out of pumpkin chef.”

“You ran out? There’s a fucking store-room behind you, you bloody moron!” Malfoy exclaimed, “I’ll get you the bloody pumpkin and I’ll shove it up your fucking arse! Would you like or whole or diced?”

The man he was berating took it well, “Diced chef, think it might be a bit less painful.”

Malfoy actually smirked at that response, “Don’t be a smart arse Davidson,” he said, turning around to the doorway where Harry was standing.

Harry jumped a little about being spotted, “Uh sorry Malfoy. I was going to the toilet and I heard you and I was...intrigued.”

Malfoy raised an eyebrow at Harry and slipped past him to enter the storeroom across the corridor, “Intrigued by what, Potter?” he asked as he re-emerged with a large pumpkin.

“Your method of commanding a kitchen,” Harry admitted, “It’s effective.”

“I know it is,” Draco said, throwing the pumpkin at Davidson and dicing it with magic as it flew through the air.

“Thank you for not shoving it up my arse chef.”

Malfoy smirked, “I don’t think tables 5 and 6 want pumpkin arse soup Davidson. Shut the fuck up and cook.”

“Yes chef.”

Harry shook his head in amusement, “Sorry, I’ll just be going now...”

Malfoy’s smirk grew more mischievous, “No Potter, since you are here let’s see how well you can cook.”

Harry frowned in alarm, “Oh no, I’m not a good...cooking is not...I just don’t do it very often,” he tried to object as Malfoy frog marched him into the kitchen and stopped him in front of a work surface.

“Uh, what do you want me to do?” Harry asked awkwardly.

“Surely even you can make vegetable soup, Potter.”

Harry rather awkwardly cut all of the vegetables and put them in the pot. The issue came when he poured in chicken stock, rather than vegetable stock.

“Chicken stock? Fucking hell Potter! You don’t want to feed chicken fat to a fucking vegetarian! I can’t believe they call you boy-who-lived, more like the boy-who-can’t-bloody-fucking-cook!” Malfoy exclaimed, “Get out of my kitchen!”

“Gladly,” Harry, reaching the doorway and looking back at Malfoy in amusement.

The blonde man grinned, “Enjoy the rest of your meal Potter. I’ve put treacle tart on as a special, I even stole the Hogwarts elves recipe for you.”

Harry grinned back, not entirely sure why, “Thanks Malfoy.”

Malfoy gave him a brief nod and then caught something out of the corner of his eye, “FOR THE LOVE OF MERLIN, MORGANA AND FUCKING UTHER YOU COMPLETE AND UTTER IDIOT! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO SET THE ALCOHOL ALIGHT NOT THE WHOLE FUCKING CRÈME BRULEE!”

Harry slipped out of the kitchen, unable to stop himself from laughing. When he eventually got back to the table his family gave him odd looks, but he just shook his head in amusement, unable to tell them why he was acting so strangely.

Their main courses were brought out, and Harry finally managed to control himself, “I stopped to observe Malfoy in the kitchen. He seems to command his kitchen by abusing his staff, but they don’t mind. It was hilarious, someone should give that man a radio show.”

Albus grinned at James, and his older brother winked. Their plan had worked because their Father was actually enjoying his evening now. However, there had been a slight hiccup in that plan.

“So Albus,” Harry said conversationally after they had finished their main courses and ordered their desserts.

“Yes?” Albus asked cautiously, he was wary of the look in his Dad’s eye.

“When we you planning on telling your Mother and I that you were dating Scorpius Malfoy?”

Albus’s eyes widened, and Lily grinned, “I knew it!”

James just snorted, “I suspected it.”

Ginny raised an eyebrow at Harry, “How did you come by this information?”

“Malfoy told me, inadvertently,” Harry said, amusement shining in his eyes, “When did it start?”

Albus sighed, realising he had been well and truly caught, “A couple of months ago. Scorpius’s Dad only knows because Professor Longbottom caught us in a broom cupboard and then got drunk after the Halloween feast and told him.”

Harry snorted, the idea of Neville spilling secrets while drunk was not unbelievable. In fact, many a secret had been leaked in just that manner, “And why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you hate his Dad! It was hard enough getting you to come here tonight!” Albus exclaimed.

“Now that is true, but I am having a fantastic time,” Harry said honestly, “And if nothing else Draco Malfoy has a wicked sense of humour, and a talent for cooking very good food. He even put treacle tart on the menu for me, so I’m warming to him. And I love Scorpius, I’ve known him since he was 11, I’m really happy for you Al.”

Albus breathed a sigh of relief, “Thanks Dad,”

Ginny smiled slightly and gripped her son’s hand, “You should have told us Al, we would have invited him tonight.”

Albus’s smile widened and he looked generally relaxed as their desserts arrived. Harry had to hide his amused grin when he noticed a small note sticking out from beneath his plate. The handwriting had to be Malfoys because nobody else wrote in such a neat, girly way. 

“Sorry for outing your son. I didn’t see you spying on me, but I should have known that you were. It does seem to be a habit of yours. 

P.S - Stick to the day job Potter, you really can’t cook.”

THE END :)


	8. 7 Minutes in Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a game at Hogwarts called 7 Minutes in Hell. Instead of being locked in a broom cupboard and kissing, you fight. James Sirius Potter holds the record, but Albus Severus is determined to beat him, even if that does mean beating up his best friend. ALBUS/SCORPIUS & IMPLIED DRARRY.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on a tumblr post by ‘himeshirayuki’. This one here;
> 
> “Idea: seven in minutes in hell  
> its like seven minutes in heaven, but instead of making out, you fight.”

Albus Severus Potter went into his 7th year at Hogwarts with two goals. The first was to pass all of his N.E.W.T’s so he could go travelling around the world with his best friend, Scorpius Malfoy.

The second was to topple his older brother’s reign of a game that had become legendary at Hogwarts. That game was called 7 Minutes in Hell. Albus had no idea when it had begun, but he was fairly certain it hadn’t existed when his parents were at school. It was a variation of 7 Minutes in Heaven, but you didn’t make out in a broom cupboard for 7 minutes, you fought. The victor of that fight fought anyone who would challenge him until eventually nobody would. It was a secret game, played only by 7th years, and kept very secret by them. Albus only knew about it because he had heard James and Fred whispering about it in the Gryffindor common room. Louis had been in James’s year, but he had never had the guts to play the game, he had been Hufflepuff who cared far more about working hard and getting good grades. Molly was in Ravenclaw, and even she had given the game a go.

But now it was Al’s turn. He was in 7th year, it was his time to shine and he was going to beat his brother’s score to the kerb. He was a Slytherin after all, it should come as no surprise that he was ambitious, especially when concerned with bettering his brother. 

The game began as soon as the term did, and Albus beat everyone who dared to challenge him until eventually he was faced with his final opponent. He had gotten a fair few injuries and had made up a whole lot of lies to Matron Pomfrey, before finally reaching this point.

But here he was. It was nearing the end of May, and he was waiting in a broom cupboard on the 5th floor. He heard the crowd outside murmuring excitedly, and his adrenaline was pumping. The door opened, and his eyes widened in disbelief when he saw his final challenger.

“Scorp?”

Scorpius smirked as he shut the door behind him, “I’m ambitious too Albus. If you want that high score, you are going to have to fight for it.”

“I will,” Albus said, his eyes flashing angrily. He looked to the door, waiting for the lock to click and the timer to begin to tick down.

Scorpius mistook this for fear, “Scared, Potter?”

Albus looked his best friend right in the eye and smirked, “You wish, Malfoy.”

The lock behind Scorpius clicked and the timer appeared on the door. The fight was to begin, Albus didn’t know if he would have the guts to initiate it, so he was glad when Scorpius did. The blonde boy elbowed Albus in the face, so Albus elbowed him back and pressed him against the wall, smacking his knee into the back of Scorpius’s legs to bring him to his knees.

Scorpius laughed wickedly, “I know you’re gay Al but this is a bit forward, even for me.”

Albus glared at him, “Fight back then you coward.”

Scorpius, rather seductively, thrust his hips so that he shoved Albus off of him with the power of his arse. He spun around and gripped his arms, kneeing him in a sensitive region.

Albus hissed, “Fuck you!”

“It’s not like you need them for reproduction,” Scorpius cackled as he pressed his foot into Albus’s back in an attempt to keep him pinned to the floor of the broom cupboard. But only one minute had passed on the clock which meant that there were 6 minutes left.

Albus groaned and rolled to the side, he grabbed Scorpius’s leg and pulled him down with a crash. They resorted to scuffling around on the floor of the broom cupboard. They punched each other, and knee-ed each other, and generally rolled around, smacking their heads off of walls.

Finally Scorpius managed to grab both of Albus’s wrists. He pinned him down, and grinned triumphantly. He was breathing heavily, and sweating too. This was a tiny, confined space and with so much movement it got hot very quickly. He was vaguely aware of the fact that he was straddling his friend, but he was more focused on winning. He glanced up at the clock and cursed inwardly when he realised that there were still 3 minutes left on it.

Albus groaned in frustration and shifted his hips slightly, trying to push Scorpius off of him. But Scorpius was taller, musclier and generally stronger. The blonde boy raised an amused eyebrow at his friend, “You don’t have your wand, do you?”

“No,” Albus said through gritted teeth as he tried to force Scorpius’s arms off of him, “We have to leave them outside, it’s part of the game.”

“So that’s certainly not a wand in your pocket then,” Scorpius said, keeping Albus pinned down with ease.

Albus stopped struggling for a moment to look at his best friend, “I’m gay, what do you expect?”

Scorpius smirked, “I just thought you were pleased to see me.”

“Well that too,” Albus said, a mischievous smirk on his lips.

Scorpius was startled by that, and he inadvertently loosened his grip slightly. Albus seized his opportunity and flipped them, pinning Scorpius down with his legs and his hands because he knew the blonde boy would be able to fight back otherwise.

Scorpius grunted as his back hit the hard concrete ground, and Albus breathed heavily as he smirked down at his best friend. He frowned and glanced down, “Scorpius...”

Scorpius’s cheeks flushed, “I can’t help it, alright?” he muttered.

Albus’s frown deepened, “Scorp, you’re not...you’ve dated girls! You spent a whole year snogging Rosie!”

Scorpius groaned and looked at the ceiling, “It’s not guys Al, alright? It’s just you.”

Albus was so stunned that he actually let go of Scorpius’s hands. The blonde used that opportunity to scurry to his feet. There was only one minute left on the clock now, and technically neither of them had won yet. Albus got to his feet too, but he barely had a second to steady himself before he was getting pressed against the wall by Scorpius. 

At first he thought that Scorpius was going to punch him, or elbow. Or just keep him pressed there because that would be enough for him to win. Albus was completely shocked when Scorpius Malfoy, his best friend, his bloody hot best friend who he had secretly had a crush on for years, kissed him.

Albus actually gasped slightly into the kiss. Scorpius paid no attention as he kissed Albus roughly, and the second Albus was aware of what was going on he kissed Scorpius back. He let his hands get lost in the boys messy blonde hair, as Scorpius kept his hands pressed against the wall. They kissed like they had fought, their lips smashed together, they bit each other, they roughly pressed themselves against each other. They were breathing heavily, practically panting in fact when the timer announced that there was 10 seconds to go.

As much as Albus was enjoying making out with his best friend, he still wanted to win this game. He had not been made a Slytherin for nothing, and whatever it took he was going to beat his arrogant older brother. 

“Sorry Scorp,” Albus said the moment he broke the kiss. He threw Scorpius to the floor, punching him in the face as he did so and he pressed the heel of his foot against Scorpius’s chest as the lock unclicked and the door swung open. In that moment as the people in the corridor cheered, Albus was just grateful for the fact that a requirement of the Hogwarts school uniform was robes, because oh boy they hid so much.

“Potter! Malfoy!” Professor McGonagall’s voice said from behind the crowd of students, “My office, now! The rest of you, 10 points from whatever house you are in, for all of you. Get to bed, it is long past curfew!”

Albus and Scorpius couldn’t look at each other after what had just gone down in that broom cupboard. They kept their eyes on the floor as they traipsed silently after McGonagall. Albus was torn between feeling bad about punching Scorpius, and rejoicing because he had bloody well done it, he had beaten James!

They were dragged into the office and forced into seats while McGonagall disappeared into a room at the back of the office. The portraits of the Headmasters on the walls all appeared to be slumbering, but Albus was sure that he saw that he saw Dumbledore peer at them through one eye.

“I’m sorry for punching you Scorp, I really wanted to win.”

“Yeah, I know,” Scorpius muttered, he still hadn’t looked at Al.

“Are we gonna talk about what...happened...in there?” Albus asked warily.

“What’s there to talk about?”

Albus looked at him in disbelief, “Uh my best friend, my supposedly straight best friend, just snogged my face off in a broom cupboard. Not that I’m complaining by the way.”

A hint of a smile ghosted over Scorpius’s face, but it was gone very quickly, “Al, my Dad is going to go mad. He’s going to go bloody mental, I need to marry and have an heir for Salazar’s sake! I don’t have a womanising older brother who is going to produce tons of spawn so that the name can live on like you do!”

“Hey, did you just refer to my future nieces and nephews as spawn?” Albus asked, sounding mildly offended, but his grin gave him away.

Scorpius shot his best friend an amused look, “This isn’t funny Al.”

“It’s kind of funny,” Albus said, “It’s funny that I’ve had a crush on you for years and you clearly had no idea.”

“Well I was trying not to notice it,” Scorpius sighed, “But it wasn’t going away, my feelings weren’t going away. I did really like Rose, I do like her, she’s one of my best friends but she’s...she’s not...you.”

Albus grinned, “I am honoured Scorpius. I will take full responsibility for this when your Dad inevitably goes mental. I’ll say I seduced you with my messy black hair, and my mesmerizing green eyes. I’ll say you had no choice but to fall madly in love with me, therefore ending any possibility of you marrying a decent pure-blood girl and producing a perfectly lovely little blond haired child.”

By the end of Albus’s extravagant performance (he had jumped onto the desk and had been twirling around using hand motions as he told his ‘tale’). Scorpius was nearly crying with laughter, but he choked out, “Stop it Al! This is serious, how am I going to tell him?”

“Well you kind of just did,” An amused voice said from behind them. Scorpius spun around to the doorway of the room that McGonagall had disappeared into, and Albus did an elaborate twirl on the desk. Standing in the doorway in front of McGonagall were their Fathers, and they both looked vaguely amused.

All of the colour drained out of Scorpius’s face, and Harry looked at Albus in amusement, “Al, you are such a drama queen. Get off of Minerva’s desk.”

“Your wish is my command, Father,” Albus said, doing a mock bow and somersaulting off of the desk. He landed perfectly on the floor and grinned at Scorpius who managed to laugh weakly, despite the situation.

Draco glanced at Harry, “You were never that outgoing.”

“I was when I wasn’t trying to kill you or Voldemort,” Harry said thoughtfully, “But I was never that good a gymnast.”

“Why are you so gymnastic?” Draco asked Albus, amusement shining in his eyes.

Albus leant against McGonagall’s desk, “When we were kids Dad said we had to learn a bit about muggles so he made us all do a muggle sport. James played football for a day and then quit when he realised he was crap at it. Then he played rugby until he got his leg crushed and Mum cried for days about how dangerous it was. Then eventually he found cricket and realised he could hit the ball a couple of times and do nothing for the rest of the day, so he loved it. Personally, I was not that keen on sport, but jumping around and climbing up poles and swinging on bars looked like a ton of fun so I took up gymnastics.”

“And Lily ended up being a really good lacrosse player,” Harry added in amusement.

Draco nodded thoughtfully, “It’s an interesting approach. I just made Scorp join the Scouts, but each to their own.”

Harry chuckled, “Minerva, why did you call us here?”

McGonagall looked at them with despair as she walked into the office, “I found them in a broom cupboard, fighting.”

“Fighting?” Harry asked, glancing at Draco in amusement, “In my experience that is not the sort of thing you do in a broom cupboard.”

“No, you fight in front of the whole school so everyone can see how much you hate each other,” Draco agreed, “I find the grounds to be a good location.”

“But the corridors work too,” Harry said.

“Oh and the trophy room,” Draco and Harry added in unison.

Scorpius frowned between them, “I thought you two didn’t get along. You only ever shake hands and briefly say hello when you drop us off at each other’s houses.”

“Well we have to keep up the act, don’t we?” Harry asked as he took a seat, “We’ve been having poker nights with Nev since you two became friends.”

“Nev?” Albus grinned, “As in Professor Longbottom?”

“The one and only,” Draco said with an amused smile.

“Your Uncle Ron comes along too Al, but he sits at the far end of the table and interacts with Draco as little as possible,” Harry said offhandedly, “But why were you two fighting in a broom cupboard? I don’t suppose it had anything to do with this game that James thinks I don’t know about? What’s it called again Malfoy?”

“7 Minutes in Hell,” Draco replied, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms.

“That’s the one, James has the high score if I’m right?”

“No, I do!” Albus said triumphantly, “I just overtook him!”

“By fighting with Scorpius in a broom cupboard?” Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.

Albus nodded, and glanced at his best friend, “Yeah, and I am sorry about punching you Scorp.”

Scorpius shrugged, “It’s fine.”

“So what is this we hear about you two being together?” Draco asked, surveying Scorpius curiously.

Scorpius’s cheeks burned bright red, and Albus patted him on the back, “As I said Mr. Malfoy, it is all my fault. Your son cannot resist my incredibly majestic good looks which I get from my good father here. Nor can he resist my sparkling wit and charm, and then there is my sex appeal-”

“And your ego Al, do not forget your ego,” Harry said, smirking at his son in amusement.

Albus just grinned, “So the long story short Mr. Malfoy is that I am so irresistible that your son who is apparently straight, jumped me in a broom cupboard. Poor unsuspecting, innocent-” Harry scoffed, “-little me.”

Draco rolled his eyes, “Scorpius, can I please have your un-embellished version of events?”

Scorpius stared at his hands, “We were in the broom cupboard playing the game and we were fighting...and then we were kissing.”

“Now that sounds oddly familiar,” McGonagall said, trying not to smirk as she looked pointedly at Draco and Harry.

Albus’s jaw dropped, “Dad! You snogged Scorp’s Dad!”

Harry rolled his eyes, “It was one time, alright? It was a dare, we were in 8th Year and we were very drunk. You two are clearly sober, and unlike either of us, you are gay Albus.”

Albus gasped, “I’m gay? Oh sweet Salazar! Why has nobody told me?”

Scorpius grinned through his hands at Albus, and the black-haired boy winked at him.

Draco shook his head, but he was clearly amused, “We’ll talk about this later Scorpius, but I’m not angry.”

“You’re not?” Scorpius asked, looking up in surprise.

“I’m not,” Draco promised.

“But you two are in deep trouble,” Harry said with a satisfied grin, “I’ll let Minerva do the honours.”

“I am taking 50 points from Slytherin.”

Albus and Scorpius both groaned.

“Each!” McGonagall added.

“Each?” Albus, Scorpius and Draco echoed.

Harry snorted in amusement.

McGonagall continued, “And you will both be serving detentions. You were involved in a game that was very dangerous and from this day forth it will be banned. Do you understand?”

“Yes Professor,” Albus said with a nod.

Scorpius nodded too, “Yes Professor,” he said.

McGonagall gave them a stiff nod, “Then you are excused.”

They both stood to leave, and Harry and Draco followed their sons from the office. In the corridor outside they stood awkwardly, awaiting more punishment from their parents.

“That game was dangerous, but James will be horrified to find out that you beat him,” Harry said with a slight smile, “So please don’t do anything that dangerous again, but by the same logic, write to James as soon as you can.”

Albus grinned, “My pleasure, Father.”

Draco shook his head, “And Scorpius, please try and stay out of trouble for the rest of the year. Being caught fighting and snogging your best friend isn’t exactly a great example to set as Head Boy.”

Harry hid his amused grin as Draco continued, “But whatever is going on between you and Albus, don’t put an end to it because of me or your Mother. We love you regardless of anything, sexuality included. Love who you love, don’t do the ‘proper’ thing or the pure-blood thing because you will only live to regret it.”

Scorpius nodded and smiled weakly, “Thanks Dad.”

Draco gave him a nod, “See you at Christmas Scorp.”

Harry patted Albus on the back, “See you at Christmas Al. No more fighting in broom cupboards, snogging is allowed as long as you don’t get caught. And if I get one more letter or firecall about gymnastics in the great hall this Halloween I will be grounding you for the whole of Christmas break.”

Albus did a mock salute, “Yes sir, Head Auror Potter, sir!” he stamped his foot and stood in the position of a soldier.

Harry rolled his eyes and turned around, walking down the corridor with Draco.

“How the hell is he your son? He’s nothing like you.”

“Sometimes I wonder, but Ginny was just as out there and extravagant so I’m not that surprised,” Harry said as they stepped onto the grand staircase, “That was good advice though, that you gave to Scorp.”

“It was true,” Draco said.

“You regret marrying Astoria?” Harry asked conversationally.

“Yes,” Draco said, “I married her for status and for an heir, not out of love. You know that, I’ve never had the slightest amount of arousal concerning women. It was hard enough mustering the energy to make one child.”

“I seem to remember you calling in the help of Theodore Nott to make that child,” Harry grinned.

“You never had any trouble, you made three!” Draco exclaimed under his breath.

“Ah but Malfoy, therein lies the difference between gay and bisexual,” Harry smirked, “I don’t regret marrying Ginny, and I still love her. But I do sometimes miss our...well we can’t call it a relationship, can we?”

“More like a post-war fling,” Draco snorted.

“And now our sons are dating,” Harry said with a shake of his head, “It must be in the Potter DNA. We seem to attract Malfoy’s.”

“You also all seem to be arrogant bastards,” Draco said, a smirk playing on his lips.

“Maybe that’s what attracts you to us,” Harry teased.

“We really need to put a stop this incessant flirting now that our sons are dating,” Draco said matter of factly.

“We should have stopped it after we got married,” Harry pointed out.

“I’m not happily married, I can flirt without whoever I like. You should not flirt back, you actually love your wife,” Draco joked.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Albus and Scorpius stood somewhat awkwardly in the corridor.

“Back to the slimy depths of the castle then,” Albus said cheerfully, “By which I of course mean, the common room!” 

He turned and began to walk towards the grand staircase, and Scorpius fell into step with him after a moment or two.

“Do you reckon your Dad and my Dad had a thing?” Scorpius asked curiously, “I mean my Dad is...well him and my Mum don’t have that kind of relationship. I always got the feeling I was an only child for a reason.”

“So what you are in fact asking me, is do I think our Dads fucked?” Albus asked matter of factly, “And the answer is yes. In fact I think they’re probably still fucking.”

Scorpius shook his head in disbelief, “No...that would be too weird...with us being friends and all...”

Albus grinned, “I’m joking Scorp, but yeah, I reckon that’s happened.”

“Which is probably why my Dad is so okay with this...” Scorpius said thoughtfully.

“Probably,” Albus said calmly, “Just like my Mum has no choice to be okay with me being gay because otherwise she would be a total hypocrite. She’s always known that my Uncle Charlie is gay and she was fine with it so she could hardly be against her own son being gay.”

Scorpius nodded slowly, “This has been the weirdest night of my life.”

“I’ve had weirder,” Albus said, “Like that time I walked in on James and Lula Jordan doing it on the desk in the Charms classroom and they asked me to join in-”

“Yeah Al, I don’t need to hear about that,” Scorpius said, but he was smiling in amusement.

Albus shot his best friend, who could well become his boyfriend, a sheepish grin, “So, do you fancy finding a broom cupboard on the way down to the icy depths of hell? Sorry, common room, why do I always forget its name?”

Scorpius grinned back at his best friend, feeling brave for once in a while, “Lead the way.”

THE END :)


	9. Obsession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yet ANOTHER Drarry!! Harry thinks he is becoming obsessed with Draco Malfoy, and perhaps even stalking him. His friends stage an intervention, concerned that he is under some sort of curse, but it takes a rather unexpected turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this tumblr post from 'pretentious-git';
> 
> “Basically 6th year  
> Harry: Draco went to the bathroom  
> Harry: on the seventeenth of april  
> Harry: at 4:27 in the afternoon  
> Harry: on the fourth floor  
> Harry: six doors down from the charms room  
> Harry: has stayed in there for five minutes  
> Harry: twelve seconds  
> Harry: thirty two milliseconds  
> Harry: came out at 4:32  
> Harry: returned to class  
> Harry: in the arithmancy room  
> Harry: at 4:36  
> Harry: and is most definitely up to something  
> Ron: wtf.”

Harry was beginning to get a little bit concerned. At first he had brushed off his friends teasing comments, but the more he thought about it the more he thought that maybe he was obsessed with Draco Malfoy.

He decided to broach the subject with Hermione, in the most subtle way he knew how.

“Hermione, what is the definition of obsession?”

Hermione frowned, but did not look up from her book, “What for?”

“It’s for a Potions project I’m doing, on amortentia,” Harry lied.

He was normally a very bad liar, but he had rehearsed that one and Hermione seemed to buy it. Or she was just pretending to buy it, he never knew with Hermione.

“According to the Oxford English Dictionary the word ‘Obsession’ can have various meanings,” Hermione began matter of factly, “Including ‘An idea, image, or influence which continually fills or troubles the mind; a compulsive interest or preoccupation’. Or it can also mean ‘A recurrent, intrusive, inappropriate thought, impulse, or image causing significant distress or disturbance to social or occupational functioning.”

Harry frowned, “Right.”

“Shouldn’t you have written that down, if this is for an assignment?” Hermione asked, turning the page of the Charms book she was reading.

“Oh crap, yeah,” Harry lied.

Hermione rolled her eyes and handed him a piece of parchment, “I used a spell so that it wrote it as I said it. I know you rather well Harry, surprisingly enough.”

Harry smiled slightly and accepted the parchment, “Thanks Hermione. Do you mind if I ask you a couple more questions?”

“Of course not,” Hermione said, she still hadn’t looked at him.

“What does it mean by causing disturbance to social or occupational functioning?” Harry asked curiously.

“Causing a disturbance to social functioning means it is affecting ones social life. For example if someone stopped talking to their friends, or treated their friends like they were inferior because they suddenly got a girlfriend and wanted to spend all of their spare time with her rather than studying or spending time with their friends, that would be a case of an obsession causing disturbance to social functioning.”

Harry tried not to laugh, because he knew Hermione would hate him for it. Her feelings for Ron were so obvious, and she still seemed to be in complete denial of them. Ron’s fling with Lavender was pretty irritating though, so Harry was secretly hoping that it would soon be over too.

“Okay,” Harry said, scribbling the basics of that down to make it look like he was actually needing this information for an essay, “And occupational function?”

“That’s slightly different,” Hermione said, closing her book and rubbing her eyes sleepily, “That would be if an obsession stopped ones general ability to function. For example if one could not sleep for thinking about the obsession. Or if it put them off of their food and therefore they were not supplying their body with the nutrients that it needed.”

“Right, great,” Harry said, scribbling that last part down too, “Thanks Hermione.”

“You’re welcome,” Hermione said as she finally looked up at him. Her eyes were sparkling mischievously and that made Harry instantly nervous, “So by that model, I would argue that yes you are obsessed with Draco Malfoy. All you think about is him, to the detriment of your ability to play Quidditch, eat, sleep and do anything other than watch that bloody map of yours.”

Harry bit his cheek to stop himself from saying something rude, “I didn’t ask you that.”

“I read the subtext,” Hermione said. Harry was sure he saw her smirk slightly as she got to her feet, grabbed her books and left the library.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry was obsessed with Draco Malfoy. Worse than that, he was fairly certain that he was stalking him. And it wasn’t just about him being a Death Eater anymore (although he definitely was, Harry was certain of that). But Harry had begun to notice that his hair was very nice before he slicked it back, and that he was actually very handsome when he smiled. 

Thoughts like that about men were not uncommon to Harry. He had realised in his 4th year that he was at the very least bisexual, and more likely than not completely gay. That dream about Cedric Diggory in the Prefects bathroom had clinched it for him, he had to admit he wasn’t straight when he woke up in covered in sweat that night. But thoughts like this about Draco Malfoy, they were out of the ordinary, especially when Draco Malfoy was definitely a Death Eater (he hadn’t proven it yet, but he would, it was only a matter of time!).

Hermione was clearly onto Harry, and Harry clearly could not lie to her. But he needed a favour, and he needed to ask someone who was smart enough to know the answer but who wouldn’t look at him with narrowed eyes and interrogate him. Thus he sourced Luna in the study hall during one of his free periods. She smiled at him as he sat down next to her, and they whispered about Snape being a terrible Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, and Ron and Lavender’s relationship being disgusting for a little while.

Harry eventually asked her the question that he wanted to ask when the teacher on duty (Professor Sinistra) went to help a student at the other side of the hall.

“Luna, what’s the definition of the word stalking?”

Luna looked up thoughtfully, “That’s an interesting question, Harry.”

“It’s for an extra-curricular piece of work I’m doing with Hagrid,” Harry lied, “About hunting in the Forbidden Forest.”

Luna hummed thoughtfully and pulled out the pencil that she kept behind her ear. She twirled it a few times and said, “Would you like the Oxford English Dictionary definition or George Gregory’s Big Book of Humdinging Definitions, definition?”

“Uh, the Oxford definition will be fine,” Harry said, his quill poised over his paper. He was going to make it look bloody realistic this time.

Luna gave a small nod, “Oh it can mean so many different things, isn’t that the fabulous thing about words? In relation to animals it can mean ‘To pursue or approach prey stealthily’. It can mean ‘To walk with measured stiff or haughty strides’. But I suppose the most common definition is ‘The act or an instance of stalking, or harassing another in an aggressive, often threatening and illegal manner’. It’s against the law in wizarding Britain.”

Harry frowned, “But what if someone was just following someone? Not being aggressive or threatening?”

Luna looked thoughtful, “Then why would someone follow someone?”

Harry shrugged, “Lots of reasons. To find out if they were hiding something, to find out where they were going or...just because they want to...know more about them.”

Luna smiled slightly, “Then I suppose that’s just following. Unless of course they are being obsessive about it, in which case it’s a slightly different situation.”

“Right,” Harry said, his frown deepening.

Luna grabbed her bag and got to her feet, “So don’t worry Harry. You aren’t stalking Draco.”

Harry’s cheeks flushed with colour, but Luna had flounced out of the hall before Harry could say another word.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I’m worried about Harry.”

“So am I, Ron,” Hermione said, chewing at her lip, “He’s getting rather obsessed with Malfoy.”

Ginny nodded her agreement, “I think we need to stage an intervention.”

“We definitely need to stage an intervention, I found this under his pillow yesterday,” Ron said, dropping a leather-bound book in Hermione’s hand.

Hermione frowned as she looked at the cover, “Is this a diary?”

“It’s more like a journal,” Ron said distastefully, “Of everything that Malfoy does, look.”

Hermione opened the journal warily, and read the page that it had opened on.

“9.36am: Malfoy ate cereal for breakfast. Followed by pumpkin juice, and coffee. He drinks it with two cubes of sugar and no milk (who drinks coffee without milk anyway?)”

Hermione frowned, “That’s worrying.”

Ginny nodded warily, “How much worse does it get?”

“Worse,” Ron said, flicking to the latest page, “Read that.”

Hermione read the latest page of the journal out loud, “4.27pm. Malfoy went to the bathroom on the 4th floor. The bathroom was 6 doors down from the Charms room where he had just finished a class. He stayed in there for 5 minutes, 12 second and 32 milliseconds. He came out at 4.32pm and proceeded to his Arithmancy classroom on the 7th floor where he arrived and entered at 4.41pm. He is most definitely up to something.”

“What the hell are we going to do?” Ron asked.

“We need to talk to Luna, she’ll know what to do,” Ginny said.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Oh I have the perfect idea!” Luna said eagerly when Ron, Hermione and Ginny approached her that night, “We can use this!”

“Luna, is that veritaserum?” Hermione asked in disbelief as Luna pulled a small bottle from her pocket.

Luna nodded, “I always keep a bottle in my pocket in case of emergencies.”

“How does Snape not notice you stealing it?” Ron asked in disbelief.

“I don’t steal it,” Luna said as she put it back in her pocket, “I make it.”

Ginny smirked as Hermione’s jaw dropped, “You can make veritaserum? Luna you’re in 5th year!”

Ginny grinned, “Hermione, you are very smart but this is why you are not in Ravenclaw,” she said teasingly.

Hermione looked put out by the comment, and Ron rolled his eyes, “Alright, we’ll do it tomorrow night. We need to get to the bottom of this quickly, it’s freaking me out.”

“Okay,” Luna said cheerfully, “Why are we using it?”

“Because Harry is stalking Malfoy, and its gotten to the point where he’s keeping a journal on what he’s doing. We need to know why,” Ron said.

“Hmm,” Luna hummed, “I’m sure he will tell us. Veritaserum can make you very impressionable, see you tomorrow!”

And she skipped off without a care in the world.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry loved his friends. But he didn’t love being forced into an armchair, and having Veritaserum shoved down his throat. He hated the fuzzy feeling it gave him, the feeling that he wanted to tell everyone everything.

“We’re really sorry about this Harry,” Hermione said guiltily, “But Ron found your journal about Malfoy and we are really freaked out so we just have to check. Are you under any kind of curse?”

Harry frowned.

“Too vague,” Ginny said, “Veritaserum only works if you are very specific. Harry, are you under the imperius curse?”

“No.”

“Has anyone slipped you a potion recently that has influenced you?”

“No.”

Hermione looked a little relieved, “Okay then Harry. Why are you keeping tabs on Malfoy?”

“He’s a Death Eater,” Harry replied.

“Yes, we know you think that,” Hermione said calmly, “Which explains why you are following him. But why are you writing down what he’s eating, and the way he likes his coffee and the amount of times a day that he combs his hair?”

Harry’s cheeks began to turn red as he opened and closed his mouth several times.

“Merlin’s balls! He’s fighting veritaserum!” Ron said, his mouth open wide with amazement, “No one can do that!”

“He can fight it for a little while,” Luna said, cocking her head at Harry, “But not forever. He is a very gifted wizard though.”

Ron narrowed his eyes at Harry, “What are you hiding, Harry? Why don’t you want to tell us why you’re so obsessed with Malfoy?”

Eventually the veritaserum won out, and Harry blurted out, “Because I fancy him!”

A shocked silence rang in the Gryffindor common room.

“You’re gay?” Ron asked in disbelief.

Hermione scoffed, “Honestly Ronald! Of course he is, it has been evident since 4th year!”

“Oh!” Luna said excitedly, “Did you ever kiss Cedric Diggory, Harry? I always thought he would be a very good kisser, Cho always said that he was.”

“No, Luna! Cedric was about 3 years older than me,” Harry said.

“Age is only a number, Harry,” Luna said, sitting down on the edge of the armchair that he was tied to.

“You fancy Draco Malfoy?” Ginny asked in disbelief, “I can swallow the fact that you’re gay. In fact it even makes sense of a lot of things...but Draco Malfoy? Why couldn’t you fancy someone nice like Neville?”

Harry’s cheeks flushed, “Neville’s too hung up on you Ginny.”

Ginny’s eyes widened, “Me?”

Harry nodded, “He’s liked you ever since 4th year and would you please quit asking me questions because these are really not my secrets to tell.”

“Okay, sorry,” Hermione said quickly, “So you are stalking Malfoy because you fancy him?”

“Yes.”

“And what do you expect to get out of that exactly?” Ron asked with a frown.

Ginny grimaced, “Bad question, Ron.”

Ron’s cheeks flushed, “No, don’t answer that!” he said quickly.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

“Alright well, do you have the antidote Luna?” Hermione asked, feeling very bad.

“Oh no, I don’t carry the antidote with me, just the potion...oops.”

Harry glared at them, “Guys, I can’t stay like this!”

“It wears off in 24 hours Harry,” Luna said with a smile, “See you tomorrow!”

“Luna!” shouted cursed as the Ravenclaw left the common room.

“I swear to Merlin, we did not know that!” Ron exclaimed as Harry turned his glare to his Gryffindor friends.

“Would you just let me up, please?” Harry asked irritably.

“Of course, sorry,” Hermione said quickly, breaking the binds that tied him there.

Harry got to his feet and stormed upstairs. When Ron didn’t immediately follow him to the dorm room, Harry assumed that he was gossiping with Hermione and Ginny about this development.

He kicked his bed angrily and Neville’s head poked out from behind the curtains of his own bed, “What’s wrong, Harry?”

“My friends just found out that I’m gay and that I’m stalking Draco Malfoy because I fancy him,” Harry blurted out before he could stop himself, “And they gave me veritaserum but they have no bloody antidote!”

“What friends?” Neville asked, trying to conceal his amusement.

“Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Luna,” Harry muttered angrily.

Neville frowned, “Why wasn’t I included?”

“I think they knew you would tell me,” Harry said miserably, “Plus, you really didn’t want to be there.”

“Why?” Neville asked warily.

“They asked me why I fancied Malfoy and not someone nice like you,” Harry said as he sat down heavily on his bed, “And I said it was because you were too preoccupied with Ginny.”

“In front of Ginny?” Neville asked as his face drained of colour.

Harry nodded, “I’m sorry, they gave me veritaserum!”

“I know, I know,” Neville said quickly, “It’s fine...and that’s illegal, you know?”

Harry snorted, “What am I going to do, get all of my friends thrown in Azkaban?”

Neville smiled slightly, “It will wear off in 24 hours. It will be fine, I’ll stick with you tomorrow and drag you away if anyone asks a question.”

“Thanks Neville,” Harry said, breathing a sigh of relief as he pulled the curtains around his bed so that he could attempt to get some sleeping.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was remarkably easy to avoid being asked questions the following day. When Professors asked him questions he normally responded with “I don’t know” because it was the truth. He figured he should probably start studying more, and from the sideways looks Hermione was giving him, he knew she felt the same.

It all fell apart after dinner when Harry was walking out to the greenhouses with Neville. He was going to help him with some extra-curricular work because it would get him away from all other humans who could ask him awkward questions.

They reached the entrance hall when Draco Malfoy stepped out of the dungeons. He scoffed, “What are you doing hanging out with Gryffindor’s resident loser at this time of night, Potter?”

Harry glared at Draco, “He’s not a loser, he’s my friend. And we’re going to the greenhouses.”

Draco’s eyes flashed, “Secret place to shag, is it?”

What Harry wanted to say was ‘I’m not gay Malfoy, Neville’s just my friend’. But that wasn’t what came out.

“I wouldn’t know since Neville is just my friend. I’d much rather shag you Malfoy.”

Harry’s face turned bright red the second the words had left his mouth. Draco’s jaw dropped and he froze in the middle of the entrance hall.

Neville looked between them in disbelief, “He was hit by a spell that makes him talk nonsense Malfoy, don’t listen to him.”

“You’re gay Potter?”

Harry tried to fight it, but even with the veritaserum wearing off, he was helpless to fight the potion, “Probably, I can’t exactly say for sure since I’ve never so much as kissed a guy but I definitely find them attractive and I’ve never exactly enjoyed kissing a girl.”

Draco was astounded, “Longbottom! Why is he telling me this?”

“Because he’s under veritaserum, but that’s illegal so...” Neville trailed off.

Draco nodded, he understood the unspoken words of ‘so shut your mouth’.

“Wait a minute Potter. Do you fancy me?”

“Malfoy, stop asking him questions!” Neville exclaimed.

“Of course I fancy you Malfoy. Are you blind? Why else would I be stalking you-”

Neville physically shut Harry up by putting his hand over his mouth.

“Stalking me?” Draco asked in disbelief. His elegant stature was completely gone as he stood in the hall, mouth agape.

Harry pushed Neville’s hand away, “Well strictly speaking it’s not stalking. It’s following.”

“You’ve been following me,” Draco said slowly, “Because you fancy me?”

“And because I think you’re a Death Eater,” Harry said matter of factly, “Which is very confusing, fancying someone who is your arch enemy and who is also probably a Death Eater.”

Draco looked very flustered. He took a step back, “Potter, we should talk about this sometime when you are not under veritaserum when this war is over and certainly not now.”

“Right,” Harry said with a frown.

Draco gave an awkward life, “Try not to die in the war.”

“Okay,” Harry said slowly.

“See you around,” Draco added, backing away a little more.

Harry gave the blonde an awkward wave and he disappeared into the dungeons. Harry frowned at Neville, “Did that mean...”

“Yes, he likes you too,” Neville said, rolling his eyes and placing his hand on Harry’s back, “But let’s get you to the greenhouse before you accidentally tell the entire school that you’re in love with Draco Malfoy.”

Harry gave a firm nod, “Great idea, thanks Nev.”

Neville shook his head in amusement, “Don’t mention it Harry.”

The End :)


	10. Tradition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ANOTHER Albus/Scorpius one!! 
> 
> Neville Longbottom is very concerned when Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter are both sorted into Slytherin. He dreads teaching them, and when they begin to shout at each other from opposite ends of the same bloody table, he knows that he will be grey by the time they graduate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this tumblr post by 'flippyspoon'. Here it is;
> 
> "scorpius:(across the great hall) HEEEEEY POTTER!  
>  albus:WHAT?!  
>  scorpius:I DON'T KNOW. MY DAD SAID TO YELL AT YOU BECAUSE IT'S TRADITION.  
>  albus:ALRIGHT! WANT TO PLAY A SEEKER'S GAME ON SATURDAY?!  
>  scorpius:ALRIGHT!  
>  neville:STOP SHOUTING! YOU'RE AT THE RUDDY SAME TABLE.  
>  albus:SORRY PROFESSOR!  
>  scorpius:YEAH, SORRY PROFESSOR!"

Neville Longbottom was afraid, very afraid. He had been afraid in 2015 when James Sirius Potter had sat on the stool and the sorting hat had screamed, “Gryffindor!” within about 2 seconds of being placed atop his head. That fear had been well-placed because James was an absoloute nightmare to teach, but he had respect for Neville at least, and that was something.

But this year Neville was even more afraid. Because 2019 was the year that Albus Severus Potter was going to start Hogwarts. However, it was also the year that Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy was starting school. Neville was dreading the combination of a Malfoy and a Potter at Hogwarts together, he was dreading teaching them. 

He watched warily from the Head Table as Scorpius stepped forward and was sorted into Slytherin, no surprises there. He narrowed his eyes as Albus tentatively got to his feet and sat down on the stool. The hat deliberated for a little longer with him, like it had with Harry. But when it did open its mouth, Neville got a shock.

“Slytherin!”

The Slytherins cheered and Albus looked very nervous as he walked towards the table decked out in green. Neville could not quite believe his eyes as Harry Potter’s second child became a Slytherin, of all houses. Albus smiled in relief as James cheered from the Gryffindor table, and winked at his younger brother. Neville smiled too, Harry had raised his children well, he had raised them to support and love each other, no matter what.

Neville turned his eyes back to the Slytherin table, and he could not hide his disbelief. Albus was chatting away, quite happily, to Scorpius Malfoy. Suddenly he realised that the next 7 years could either be very interesting, or very stressful. Or perhaps both.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Nev!”

“Harry,” Neville said, smiling at the man through the medium of a fireplace, “Your son was sorted today.”

“I know,” Harry said, excitement shining in his eyes, “Where did he go?”

“Slytherin,” Neville said, unable to hide his amusement.

“Slytherin?” Harry grinned, “Well, I won that bet with Gin then. I did have a feeling he would be there. He’s very sneaky, but really ambitious too. He wants to be better than his big brother.”

“Middle child syndrome,” Neville laughed, “But he has made friends, at least.”

“Oh that’s good,” Harry said, breathing a sigh of relief, “I worried that he would be shy without Rose. Did they get separated? I’m assuming Rosie went into Gryffindor?”

“Ah, no,” Neville said, trying very hard not to grin, “Rosie, the angelic little girl that everyone thinks she is, also went into Slytherin.”

Harry laughed a little manically, “Rosie Weasley? Rose bloody Weasley! Ron’s daughter! She’s in Slytherin, you’re serious?”

Neville was laughing too, “I’m serious.”

“Oh Godric, I can’t wait to tell him!” Harry said with a wicked grin.

“Yeah, I can see why your son became a Slytherin,” Neville snorted.

Harry laughed heartily, “Let me let you into a secret Nev, I was a hat-stall. Nearly became Draco Malfoy’s BFF.”

“Yeah, speaking of that,” Neville said, finally managing to stop laughing, “One of Albus’s new friends is Scorpius.”

“Scorpius?” Harry asked slowly, “Scorpius Malfoy?”

“How many other aristocratic prats do you know who would name their son Scorpius?” Neville retorted.

“Good point,” Harry laughed, “At least he’s making friends. I’ll pretend I don’t know until he writes to me, but thanks for letting me know.”

“Yeah, I always do,” Neville said offhandedly, “I’ll see you next month for that charity ball.”

“Will do, bye Nev.”

“Bye, Harry.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Hello Malfoy.”

“Potter. What brings you all the way up to Level 5? I didn’t think you left the frosty depths of Level 2.”

Harry rolled his eyes, “Nice to see you too.”

“You haven’t spoken to me in years,” Draco said with a raised eyebrow, “What do you want?”

“I want to extend an olive branch to you,” Harry said matter of factly, “Because I am assuming your son writes to you.”

“Of course he does,” Draco said, narrowing his eyes and leaning on his desk. He was the Assistant Head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation.

“So you know that his best friend is my son, then.”

Draco looked a little irritated, “Yes, I do know. Who would have thought the golden boy’s son would be a Slytherin though, hmm?”

“Me, actually,” Harry said, leaning in the doorway in his Auror robes, “I knew he was going to be in Slytherin since he was about 5. He’s sneaky, he’s smart and he’s way too ambitious for his own good. But as they are friends, I suppose we should at least try and be civil to each other, hence my olive branch.”

“What the hell is an olive branch, Potter?” Draco asked.

“The hand of friendship Malfoy, that’s what I’m extending,” Harry said with a roll of his eyes.

“Well I tried that once, and you rejected me,” Draco said irritably.

“Yes, because you were a spoiled little brat back then,” Harry said calmly, “Now you’re a pretty decent person. Although don’t tell Ron that I said that, speaking of Ron, did you know that his daughter also went into Slytherin?”

Draco smirked, “I may or may not have laughed at that news when Scorpius first wrote to me.”

“I nearly choked myself from laughing,” Harry grinned, “So, for the sake of our son’s friendship. Can we try to be friends? They will be wanting to spend birthdays together, and summers. We’re going to have to get along.”

Draco rolled his eyes but accepted Harry’s outstretched hand, “Fine.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“HEY POTTER!”

Albus frowned, “WHAT?”

“I DON’T KNOW! MY DAD SAID TO YELL AT YOU BECAUSE IT’S TRADITION!”

Fucking tradition, Neville shook his head in disbelief. 

“COOL! WANT TO PLAY A SEEKERS GAME ON SATURDAY?”

“SURE!”

Neville decided that he would have to put an end to this nonsense, “Malfoy! Potter! Stop shouting at each other, you’re at the same table for crying out loud!”

Albus grinned sheepishly at Neville, “Sorry Professor Longbottom!”

“Yeah, sorry Professor Longbottom!” Scorpius echoed.

Neville shook his head in disbelief. Yes, the next 7 years were definitely going to be stressful, that much was true.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

6 YEARS LATER.

“Hey Nev!”

“Hey, Harry,” Neville said with a tentative smile.

“Oh Merlin, what has he done? Has he blown up the boy’s toilet again? Or destroyed the trophy room? Or wait is it Lily? Is she in trouble?”

Neville couldn’t help but smile a little, “None of your children have damaged the school or themselves in any way this time, don’t worry.”

Harry blew out a sigh of relief, “Thank Merlin, you looked pretty solemn.”

“Well, I do have a bit of a shock for you,” Neville said honestly, “I thought I would prepare you for it before Albus comes home for the summer. Are you sitting down?”

Harry frowned, “Yes, why?”

Neville continued, “I caught him the other day...in a broom cupboard.”

Harry laughed, “So? He’s in 6th year? I remember the amount of times you caught James in broom cupboards with tons of girls in his 6th and 7th year!”

“Yes, well it isn’t the fact he was in a broom cupboard snogging someone,” Neville said honestly, “It’s more a matter of who he was snogging in that broom cupboard.”

Harry smiled knowingly, “Let me guess, it was a guy?”

Neville breathed in relief, “So you already knew?”

“No, we suspected,” Harry said honestly, “And we’re not bothered. We’ve been waiting for him to tell us for a while. Who was he snogging?”

“Scorpius,” Neville said warily, “Scorpius Malfoy.”

Harry laughed loudly, “Yeah, I’ve been expecting that one for a while too,” he said, “But thanks for the heads up Nev.”

“Yeah, you’re welcome,” Neville said, looking entirely bemused as Harry ended the fire call.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Mum, Dad, James, Lil,” Albus said, holding his head up high, “I have something to tell you all.”

“You’re gay,” James said matter of factly.

Albus blanched, “You know?”

Ginny laughed, “Al honey, we’ve suspected for ages.”

Lily nodded, “We have.”

“And you’re okay with it?” Albus asked, scanning their faces.

“We’re fine with it,” Harry replied, “Love who you love, we don’t care.”

“Right, well I’m glad you said that,” Albus said, his pink cheeks transitioning towards bright red, “Because I have a boyfriend and he’s-”

“Scorpius,” Lily interjected.

Albus frowned, “You knew that too?”

“Suspected it for year’s sweetheart,” Ginny said, smiling knowingly at her son.

Harry even grinned a little bit, “It’s hard to hide it when your Uncle Nev walks in on you in broom cupboards, Al.”

Albus blushed furiously and James guffawed with laughter.

Ginny raised an eyebrow at her eldest child, “If I were you, I wouldn’t laugh Jamie. You were found in broom cupboards every other week, with your cousin one time!”

“Which cousin?” Lily asked, grinning wickedly.

“Dominique,” Albus replied, smirking at his older brother.

“Ew, that’s wrong!” Lily exclaimed.

James rolled his eyes, “She was a good kisser, and so what? We’re part Black right?”

Harry snorted in amusement, “Yeah, you definitely take after both of your name sakes son. Sorry to take the attention away from you Al, how long have you and Scorpius being together?”

“Since Christmas,” Albus muttered.

“A good 6 months then,” Ginny said happily, “That’s great Al, you’ve already had a longer relationship than your brother.”

James grinned, “Why date when you can-”

“Please don’t finish that sentence,” Ginny said, giving him a stern look.

James grinned sheepishly, “Sorry Mum.”

“Well we should probably have the Malfoy’s over for dinner then, shouldn’t we?” Harry said thoughtfully, “I don’t suppose they would enjoy beer and a barbecue...”

Albus laughed, “Dad, have you met Scorp’s Dad? He only drinks fine firewhiskey and eats game he’s hunted on his own estate.”

Harry grinned, “So we’ll invite them to our family barbecue next Saturday then, what a fantastic idea Al!”

Albus groaned, “Dad, that is not a good idea!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Potter, why are you cooking this yourself when there are house elves to do that for you?”

Harry rolled his eyes and flipped a burger over on the barbecue, “Because it’s fun Malfoy, here have a beer.”

“Beer?” Draco asked distastefully.

“Just try it,” Astoria muttered under her breath, “You are being very rude.”

Ginny shot Harry an amused look, “What do you drink Astoria? I can make up a jug of Pimm’s if you like it?”

Astoria smiled, “That would be lovely Ginny. Could you possibly not put any strawberries in it? I’m not very fond of them.”

“Of course,” Ginny said, disappearing back into the house.

“These burgers are amazing Mr. Potter,” Scorpius said as he sat at the nearby garden table with Albus, James and Lily.

Harry smiled at the blonde haired boy, “Glad you like them Scorp.”

Draco made a face as he sipped the beer, “That’s disgusting.”

“Can we have a beer Mr. Potter? We’re 17!”

Harry laughed, “Yeah of course you can, but only beer. Don’t raid my firewhiskey stash like a certain son of mine did when he came of age.”

James saluted and did a mock bow as he disappeared to grab three more bottles of beer from the outhouse. 

“Dad lets me drink firewhiskey,” Scorpius said.

“Does he?” Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at Draco.

“Well he has to acquire a taste for the finer stuff early,” Draco said matter of factly.

“How early?” Harry asked.

“I was 12 when he started to let me drink it,” Scorpius piped up.

“12?” Harry asked in disbelief, “Malfoy, you are a terrible parent.”

Astoria laughed, “It’s more of a pure-blood way of doing things. It’s not always necessarily the right way, but it is the pure-blood way.”

“I will never understand pure-bloods,” Harry said in amusement as he plated up the burgers he had just cooked.

Draco and Astoria reluctantly took their plates and sat down at the table. Harry joined them, and Ginny and James returned with their drinks. As they ate, and Draco looked like he was eating baby sick on a sandwich, they made small-talk.

“So how did you find out about these two dating then?” Harry asked Draco curiously.

“Scorpius told me when he came home for Easter,” Draco said simply.

“I had to find out from Neville who caught them lurking around in broom cupboards,” Harry said, shooting the boys an amused look as they blushed.

“Well we were all caught in a broom cupboard with someone at Hogwarts,” Ginny said, shooting Harry an amused grin as they remembered the times that they had been caught in broom cupboards together.

“Merlin knows James was,” Harry said, “And Lily, you are far too young for that.”

“I’m 15!”

“Exactly,” Ginny said sternly.

Draco and Astoria remained tight-lipped on the subject, but Harry and Ginny supposed that it was just the ‘pure-blood way’. It was a little forced, but Harry had faith that they could make this work, for the sake of Albus and Scorpius. 

Harry smiled at his son and raised his beer bottle, “A toast then, to one of my children finally dating!”

James grinned proudly at the fact that this child wasn’t him. They all clicked their bottles or glasses together, and laughed. Harry took Ginny’s hand under the table and looked around at his family, the family that now included Scorpius Malfoy. However, it always had, he had spent weeks with them every summer since he was 11 years old, and now it was only that little bit more official. He would never have thought the Potter and Malfoy family could come together like this, but he was glad that it had. Scorpius was a really good kid, and it showed just how much had changed since the war. Harry smiled proudly at that fact, and as he glanced over at Draco he was sure he saw the hint of a smile on his former arch-enemies face.

THE END :)


	11. I Believe in a Thing Called Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albius & Drarry. Scorpius and Albus have to come out to their parents, but the result isn't exactly what they were expecting...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this tumblr post by ‘nonebothersgiven’;
> 
> “Scorpius: Uh, dad? I have to tell you something...  
> Draco: What son?  
> Scorpius: ....I'm in love...  
> Lucius: Oh no-  
> Draco: *being all encouraging and dad-like* With who?  
> Scorpius: *coughs* with Potter  
> Draco: Sorry, what was that?  
> Lucius: no no no, not again-  
> Scorpius: With Albus Potter.  
> Lucius: Oh dear Wizarding God!!!! Why me!? Whyyyyyy!!!???  
> Draco: Harry's son? Harry!?  
> Scorpius: *nods cautiously*  
> Draco: Oh this is wonderful! Marvelous! He'll have to talk to me now. He'll have no choice. Think of all the time we'll get to spend together! Think of all the opportunities!-  
> Lucius: *gross sobbing*”

Scorpius Malfoy had always believed in being forthcoming. His Father had taught him that, he had taught him that keeping his feelings bottled up was never a good idea. So he had always been open with his parents and his grandparents. Most of the time it wasn’t an issue, apart from when he openly called his Grandfather an idiot when he had realised quite how much damage he had done in the war. It hadn’t been too much of an issue because his Father had agreed with him, and his Mother had sent a cold look his Grandfathers way. That had been when he was 12 however, and he was 17 now. It seemed like a distant memory, and the family was far less dysfunctional these days.

So Scorpius took a deep breath as they all sat in the drawing room of Malfoy Manor. The large Christmas tree sparkled in the centre of the room, his Father and Grandfather were sipping scotch on one of the sofas. His Mother was reading, and his Grandmother was watching him curiously. Scorpius appreciated that his parents got together to spend Christmas day with him. They had gotten divorced when he was in his 2nd year at Hogwarts, but they seemed to have remained close and Scorpius had never noticed any bad feeling between them.

“I have something to say,” Scorpius said confidently.

Lucius Malfoy looked at his Grandson warily, and Draco smiled at his son, “Say it then.”

Scorpius nodded and frowned at the floor, “I’m in love.”

Draco chuckled, “In love?”

“Yes,” Scorpius said, “I have a...a...”

“Girlfriend?” Narcissa asked her grandson with an amused smile.

Scorpius shook his head, his cheeks turning pink, “No...a...boyfriend.”

Astoria smiled at her son, “Of course you do Scorpius, your Father and I were wondering when you would finally tell us.”

Scorpius’s eyes widened, “You knew?”

Draco nodded, amusement shining in his eyes, “You are our son Scorpius. Now, who are you in love with?”

Scorpius glanced down at his feet again, “Well he’s a Slytherin.”

“That’s a good start,” Lucius said.

Astoria shot the older man a glare, “He could be in love with a Hufflepuff for all I care, Lucius!”

Scorpius winced, his Mother had never liked his Grandfather and she had never pretended to either. She turned back to her son, “So who is this new boyfriend of yours Scorp?”

“Albus,” Scorpius said very quickly and quietly.

Lucius glanced at his wife in despair, she had also caught what her grandson had muttered, “Oh sweet Salazar, not again,” he muttered.

“Say that again,” Astoria said gently, ignoring Lucius.

“Albus,” Scorpius practically whispered, “Albus Potter.”

Lucius groaned a little louder this time, “Oh Merlin, why this again? Why me?”

Narcissa glanced down to hide her amused smile while Draco and Astoria ignored Lucius, and Scorpius looked incredibly confused.

“Potter?” Draco asked slowly.

Scorpius nodded slowly, unable to decipher the look on his Father’s face.

“Harry Potter’s son? Harry?” Draco asked a little more quickly.

Scorpius gave another slow nod.

Draco smiled slyly, “Fantastic! This is just wonderful, so wonderful Scorp! He’ll have no choice but to talk to me now! Think of all the time we can spend together, and he divorced the Weaslette just last year too. The opportunities, think of all the opportunities! We must have him them over for dinner of course, before you go back to school. No point wasting any time after all!”

Lucius let his head drop into his hands, “Oh for the love of Godric, Helga, Rowena and Salazar, kill me now!”

Scorpius’s confused look turned into an amused grin, “Al was right!”

Draco frowned, “What do you mean?”

“He always thought you had a thing for his Dad!” Scorpius said triumphantly.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Dad...I have something I need to tell you,” Albus said rather shyly as he sat in the drawing room of Grimmauld Place.

Harry glanced up from his book, pushing his glasses up his nose, “What’s wrong, Al?”

“Nothing’s wrong, I’m just not sure how you’ll take this exactly,” Albus said nervously. They were alone in the drawing room thankfully. Albus would never have been able to say what he needed to say in front of his older brother. 

Harry frowned and closed his book, “Well you have my full attention.”

“I think I’m in love,” Albus said quietly.

Harry smiled proudly, “I hope it’s not unrequited love.”

Albus shook his head, his cheeks turning pink, “No it isn’t. He loves me too.”

Harry’s eyes widened, “He?”

Albus nodded and bit down hard on his lip, “Is that okay?”

Harry smiled in amusement, “Albus, do you know why your Mum and I split up?”

Albus’s eyes went so wide that they nearly popped out of his head, “Holy Helga!”

Harry laughed lightly, “It isn’t exactly common knowledge. James knows, but I figured Lily was maybe a little too young to understand yet. She’s still upset about the divorce after all, but no I don’t mind.”

Albus breathed a sigh of relief, “Thank Merlin, I thought you would freak out about the fact I was gay but if you’re okay with that then I hope you’ll also be okay when I tell you who I’m dating because the thing is you have bad blood with his family but he’s very attractive and I’m waffling and it’s Scorpius. He’s my boyfriend, Scorpius Malfoy,” he said in one breath.

“Draco Malfoy’s son, Draco?” Harry asked, an unreadable expression in his eyes.

Albus frowned, “How many other Malfoy’s are kicking around?”

Harry laughed almost nervously, “Well that’s great. I’m very happy for you, that is fantastic news, it’s just fantastic!”

Albus narrowed his eyes at his Dad, “Why are you saying fantastic so much?”

“I’m just happy for you,” Harry said cheerfully, “We should invite them around for dinner, shouldn’t we? I hear Draco divorced his wife a few years ago, we would have plenty to talk about.”

Albus watched his Dad warily, “Dad...do you know why Mr. Malfoy divorced his wife?”

“No,” Harry replied, “I haven’t a clue. I mean I’ve heard rumours obviously, but I’ve no idea.”

“No idea at all?” Albus asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

“No idea,” Harry confirmed.

Albus’s smirk widened, “Well he divorced her because he was having an affair with a lawyer he works with. A guy named Blaise Zabini.”

“Right,” Harry said, feigning interest, “I don’t suppose that lasted.”

“No, it didn’t,” Albus said in amusement, “So, yes he is single.”

Harry rolled his eyes, “Albus, how did you not end up in Ravenclaw?”

“Because when the hat debated over which house to put me in, I asked for Slytherin,” Albus said matter of factly, “Ravenclaws are boring, Dad.”

“Tell that to your Aunt Luna,” Harry snorted.

“She’s a crazy exception,” Albus shrugged.

Harry laughed, and then the floo rang. Albus glanced over at the fireplace where blue flames were burning, “It’s Scorp.

“By all means, answer it,” Harry said politely.

Albus got up and walked to the fireplace. When he accepted the call Scorpius’s face appeared in the flames, “Hey Al! Did you tell him yet?”

“Yeah, and it went fine,” Albus said cheerfully, “How did your lot take it?”

“Uh well Grandma had to sedate my Grandad with a sleeping draught,” Scorpius said, “Bit of PTPD my Mum reckons.”

Albus frowned, “Isn’t it PTSD?”

Scorpius grinned, “Yeah, but Mum reckons it’s a bout of Post Traumatic Potter Disorder. Mum and Dad took it fine though. In fact Dad took it really well. I don’t suppose you know if your Dad ever had a thing for my Dad?”

Albus scoffed and smirked at his Father, “Scorp, I think my Dad still has a thing for your Dad.”

Harry was sure he heard a familiar whooping sound come from Scorpius’s end of the fireplace and he had to contain his amused smile.

“Right well that’s handy because I really think those two need to go on a date or something,” Scorpius said, “Dad, what are your plans for Friday?”

There was some muffled noise and then Scorpius turned back to the drawing room of Grimmauld Place, “Right, Mr. Potter. Are you free on Friday night?”

Harry chuckled, “Yes Scorpius, I am.”

“Then it’s settled,” Scorpius said cheerfully, “The four of us are going to the Chaser’s Alley in Wiltshire on Friday. We’ll meet at 7pm, that way our Dads can flirt while I kick your arse.”

Albus scoffed, “You wish Malfoy, I always beat you.”

Harry shook his head at the similarities between him and Draco and their children. He could not quite believe that they had been set up by their own sons, or that after all of these years they would finally be going on a date. Even if their sons, who were a couple (which was odd in itself) were also going to be kind of on a date. All the same, Harry found himself smiling like an idiot as he nervously, but excitedly anticipated his first date with Draco Malfoy.

THE END :)


	12. Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucissa. This one goes hand in hand with the next little oneshot.  
> \- Narcissa is sick of her life, and the only thing that numbs that pain is red wine. Her husband is in Azkaban and she doesn't realise quite how much her self-destructive attitude is hurting her son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this tumblr post by ‘boxerharry’;
> 
> “Narcissa getting drunk on red wine and talking shit about Lucius to the house elves while hes at death eater meetings.”

Everyone had a vice. For some people it was whiskey, for others it was Quidditch, for some it was a long draw from a cigarette. For Narcissa Malfoy it was red wine, expensive red wine. She used to have people to share that wine with, to share her problems with but the people that she cared about were slowly disappearing.

“I have literally nobody to speak to,” Narcissa said, her words a little slurred as she sat on a bench in the large kitchen in the basement of Malfoy Manor, “I used to have friends you know, four of them. They were my dorm mates for 7 years, 7 years.”

The two house elves who hadn’t been set free by Harry Potter nodded as they listened intently.

“They all married men to men who became Death Eaters like my Husband,” Narcissa practically spat the word, “Almina committed suicide when Avery went to Azkaban...Lareina she married Cygnus Greengrass and they were both killed when he defected. As for Hyacinth Parkinson, well she’s just jealous that my Husband is more of a vindictive murdering bastard than hers and don’t even get me started on Violetta Rosier!”

The house elves nodded, watching Narcissa with wide eyes. She refilled her wine glass and threw the third empty bottle into the bin.

“And then there is the matter of my sisters. Ugh, my sisters! I actually liked Dromeda, she was my best friend when we were little. Hogwarts got so much better when she got there, but then she had to go and get herself disowned for falling in love with a muggle-born. I used to hate her for that, you know?”

The female elf nodded.

“But now I think she might have had the right idea. There’s a war coming and she’s probably standing in better stead than I am. But oh wait, I better be careful what I say! I can’t insult the dark lord! Oh bad Narcissa, talking badly of our bloody darkest, most fantastic saviour! Saviour? He’s a murderer, he’s an animal! He’s torturing my son and Lucius is doing nothing to stop him!”

The male elf subtly topped up Narcissa’s wine glass as the female elf continued to listen intently and nod.

“Then there’s dear Bella. I used to love Bella, she was my older sister and she had my back once. It’s not her fault that she doesn’t anymore, a person can only take so many years of abuse before they snap. I don’t know what drove her more insane, the cruciatus curses he used on her when she pissed him off, or the imperius curses he used on her to force her to obey! I’m not surprised he’s one of the dark lords right hand men, Rodolphus Lestrange is just as sick as he is!” Narcissa hissed, taking a deep drink from her glass of wine.

As she set it back down she sighed, and tears shone in her eyes, “Merlin, I don’t know where I went wrong! If I could go back and pinpoint that one mistake that led me down this path I would change it all. Look at this life I’m leading, my husband is in Azkaban and he’ll be released soon. The dark lord will want his servant back no doubt! When he is he will mark my son, to spite him! All to spite Lucius! Why couldn’t I have fallen in love with a decent man? I wish I hadn’t laughed in my Mother’s face when she suggested that I marry my cousin Sirius now! But he’s dead, Bellatrix killed him like the good little assassin that she is!”

“More wine Mistress Cissy,” The male elf squeaked, topping up her now empty glass.

But Narcissa was no longer paying attention to the wine as she stared at the opposite wall tearfully, “Sometimes I wonder what drew me to Lucius. Maybe it was because he was a couple of years older, or maybe it was because he was so handsome. He had a certain allure, and his sense of humour matched mine. But had I known what he would become...but Salazar knows that he wasn’t always like this! He was a good Husband for a while, and he was almost a good Father. He nearly loved Draco enough, but he wanted him to be like him. He expected too much of him and I fear that the dark lord will too...”

She let her head fall into her hands, “He was almost a good man, he just lacked one vital trait.”

“What trait Mistress Cissy?” The female elf asked.

“Bravery,” Narcissa said in a whisper, “My husband is a coward. He can’t say no to the dark lord because he is terrified of him. Sometimes I wonder if he agrees with what the dark lord makes him do. Sometimes I let myself think that maybe there is some humanity in him still. But he has killed people, he has committed disgusting crimes and he will stand by and watch while that same fate is forced upon his son! All because he is a coward!”

Narcissa was breathing heavily as she looked up. Her once beautiful face was more haggard than normal, her hair was a little limper. Her face was stained with tears as she pushed the wine glass away and whispered, “I have made so many mistakes in my life, and sometimes I wonder if I will ever make them right. I mean, look at me. I’m sitting here telling my house elves my problems because there is not a single living person who cares about me.”

“That’s not true, Mother.”

Narcissa smiled sadly at her son as he stepped into the kitchen in his pyjamas. He looked so frail and young in his old Puddlemere United pyjamas. It was a far cry away from the suits and dress robes he had been wearing, he had been trying to look like his Father. He had been trying to be his Father, he felt that he needed to step up and take on that role.

“Sit Draco,” Narcissa said softly, patting the bench beside her.

Draco sat down tentatively and Narcissa said to the female elf, “Dinky, get Draco a cocoa please. With cream and sprinkles on the top.”

“I’m too old for cream and sprinkles Mother,” Draco said with a pointed look.

“No sweetheart, don’t sign your childhood away so quickly,” Narcissa said quietly.

Draco sighed but nodded to Dinky. The elf nodded and walked towards the other side of the kitchen. Draco glanced back up to his Mother, “Mother, are you alright? You have been drinking an awful lot lately and I’m worried about you.”

“That’s sweet of you darling,” Narcissa said as she reached out and stroked his hair, “I am so glad you stopped slicking it back. You looked so uptight.”

Draco sighed and pushed her hand away from his hair, “Mother, you’re drunk.”

“And why shouldn’t I be?” Narcissa asked hopelessly, “What do I have to be sober for? Your Father is in prison and if the dark lord gets his way it will be where you will end up. He has taken everything from me Draco, he has taken my sisters, he has taken my husband. He cannot take my son.”

Draco frowned, “I’ll still be own person, even if he marks me.”

“No,” Narcissa said, “Once that mark is on your arm he controls you. He owns you. You become his slave.”

Draco looked down at the table and his voice broke as he said, “I’m scared, Mother.”

“I know you are,” Narcissa whispered, pulling him closer to her so that she could hug him, “And I’m scared too, Draco. I am a terrible Mother, what kind of Mother fails to protect their own son?”

Draco shut his eyes tightly, “Mother, this isn’t your fault.”

“Yes it is,” Narcissa whispered, “I should have seen this coming. I should never have married your Father, this was never your fight. This was never your war, I only wish that I could shield you from it. You don’t want to become one of his disciples, do you?”

“I want to make Father proud,” Draco said weakly, “And I think this might.”

Narcissa shook her head, “Nothing will make him proud. Nothing you do will ever be good enough for him, his expectations have always been too high, Draco. Please do not do this for him, do not do it all.”

“I don’t think I’ll have a choice Mother,” Draco said quietly.

“Then run,” Narcissa said, “Run away and stay gone until it is all over.”

“I can’t just run away,” Draco said tearfully, “This is my home, I belong here. I won’t leave.”

Narcissa sighed and shut her eyes, “If you become your Father then I truly have failed.”

“I’m sorry,” Draco said quietly, “I always knew I was a disappointment to him, but I never wanted to be a disappointment to you.”

“The only way you could become a disappointment to me is if you become a murderer,” Narcissa said, her eyes locking onto her sons, “If that were to happen, you would most definitely be a disappointment.”

Draco nodded and swallowed hard, “Come on Mother, you have to go to bed.”

Narcissa’s eyes were drooping shut as she sat at the table. She gave a small nod and let Draco help her up. He struggled up the stairs with her and eventually managed to deposit her in her bed. He sighed and pulled the covers over her, kissing her on the cheek, “Goodnight Mother,” he murmured as he trudged upstairs to his own bedroom. 

He curled up in bed, pulling his knees as close to his chest as he possibly could. His face was scrunched up, and his throat hurt as he tried to conceal his sobs. He tried to conceal his fear because his Father had always said that it was a weakness, that showing you could feel was a weakness. But he couldn’t hide it anymore, his Father was gone and his Mother was falling apart. He was entirely alone. He was barely 16 years old and he was basically in charge of this family. He let the sobs wrack his body, he let the salty tears fall from his eyes and soak his pillow. 

He was not ready for this. He was not ready for any of it, and he was terrified.

THE END


	13. Almost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucissa. Essentially a second part to the last one.  
> \- Lucius Malfoy is in Azkaban and slowly all of his happy memories are being taken from him. As he contemplates the mess he has left his wife and son in, he tries desperately hard to hold onto the tiny fragment of hope that he has left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this tumblr post by ‘constantneverland’;
> 
> “What’s the saddest word in the English language?   
> Almost.  
> “Why?”  
> I was almost good for her. She was almost in love with me. We almost made it.”

The worst thing about Azkaban was not the disgusting, dirty water. It was not the freezing cold cells. It was not the lack of hot or even warm water. It was not the flea ridden beds or the slop that was classed as food. 

No, the worst thing about Azkaban was the loneliness. It was the dementors and the effect that they had on a person. They sucked away all happy thoughts and all happy memories. As a result all Lucius Malfoy could think of as he sat in his cell, was how he had made a mess of his life.

He shivered as the rain came in sideways through the tiny slat of a window. The wind howled outside and the moth eaten blanket that he had to keep himself warm was barely keeping the chill out. He had his eyes shut tightly as the ice cold chill of the dementors penetrated his mind. He could only think of those he loved and where they were now. He knew that Narcissa would not cope well with this separation, not at a time like this. 

He could only hope that she was not being punished. Lucius had failed the dark lord, he had been caught and he had been imprisoned. His failure would be punished, but the dark lord could not punish him directly, not now that he was in Azkaban. He could however hurt the only two people on this earth that Lucius loved. He had seen terrible things happen to the wives of Death Eaters who had defected. He had seen them become a toy for the rest of the Death Eaters to play with, he had seen them being tortured in the worst ways. He felt sick at the thought of his beautiful, elegant, graceful wife being treated that way. He was physically sick when he thought of Draco being forced to watch such a heinous crime. He could only think that he had almost been good enough for Narcissa. If only he had made a few less mistakes back then, maybe they might have gotten through this. 

Lucius’s mind then turned to Draco. His handsome little boy had now become his strong, proud son. Draco was already a far better man than Lucius had ever been. His reign of terror had begun when he was at Hogwarts. He had not seen it for what it was then, he did not understand that the way he treated 1st and 2nd years was foreshadowing of the monster he would become at the hands of the dark lord.

Draco was a far more sensitive soul, and he always had been. Lucius had always thought that made him weak, he had always called him soft. He needed a strong heir, someone just like him. However as this war raged on he realised quite how much he wanted Draco to become the opposite of him. He did not want his son to live the life that he had led. It was a life of lies, treachery and murder. He could not bear for Draco to become like him, for Draco to make all of the same mistakes that he had.

He hoped that Draco was not capable of that. He didn’t think that he was capable of murder, he had cried when his owl had died just last year. That boy could not murder a muggle-born, he could not do the things that the other Death Eaters liked to do to muggle women. Draco was different, he was better than him.

Lucius only wished that he had acknowledged that more. Somewhere at the back of his mind there was the tiniest fragment of hope trying to force through the haze of depression that the dementors cast over him. He hoped that he would be broken out of here by the dark lord, he expected that he would be. It had happened before, after all. He did not know how long it would take for that to happen, and he did not know if it would happen in time for him to save Draco.

He expected that the dark lord had a plan to punish his son. He also expected that he would not be released until that plan was well into motion. Lucius sobbed into his knees, pulling them up tighter to him. Why had he been unable to show Draco how much he loved him when it mattered? Why had he not realised quite how bad a Father he had been to that child until it was too late?

He had so many regrets. He wished he could just turn back time. He wished that he could go back to the initial happy years of marriage he shared with Narcissa. He wished they had stayed in France where he had been working at the time. He wished Draco had been raised there, then there wouldn’t have been any Hogwarts and any of this Potter arch-enemy nonsense. He would have gone to Beauxbatons, he would have been sheltered from all of this.

Because at the end of the day, all Lucius had ever wanted was to protect his family. He had wanted to stop Draco from going through everything that he had gone through. He wanted to protect his wife from the humiliation he feared she would suffer. He loved her, Merlin he loved Narcissa so much. She had only gotten more beautiful as the years went on, and he was still just holding onto those happy memories from when she was pregnant. She had truly glowed with happiness, and Motherhood had suited her so much. He could feel his happiest memory being sucked out of him the harder he tried to hold onto it. The trees became fog, the sun in the sky was taken away. The lake that he had been swimming in with Narcissa and his 4 year old son was turned to ice.

He sobbed painfully, Lucius doubted that he would ever be able to undo these mistakes. He had no idea of the mess he would step out into when he finally got out of Azkaban. All he could do to hold onto his sanity in this horrific place, was hope and pray that his wife and son would be there. He could only try and imagine their faces, he knew Narcissa like the back of his hand. He could almost smell her perfume as he thought of embracing her once more. He could see the look of surprise dawning in Draco’s eyes when he hugged him and told him that he was proud.

That was all Lucius had left, hope and regret. Regrets about the fact that he had almost been a good man. He had almost been a good husband. He had almost been a good Father. He has almost been able to save them.

With every passing day the hope died and the regret consumed him. His sobbing grew louder, and he whispered, “If anything is out there, if anyone is up there keeping watch over me then please do one thing for me,” he breathed, “please keep my family safe. Do whatever you want to me, but keep them safe. Let them survive this, please.”

A loud crack sounded from above and lightning flashed through the sky. Lucius wasn’t sure if it was a good sign or a bad sign, but it was clearly a sign and maybe it would help him hold onto that hope for another day or so.

It was all he had. They were all that he had.

THE END


	14. The Heart's True Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albius & tiny bit of past Drarry.  
> \- The Mirror of Erised shows both Malfoy men an interesting desire, a desire for their respected Potter. However when Scorpius's boggart begins to change he knows he's completely fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this tumblr post by ‘ourloveislegendrarry’;
> 
> “You know you’re fucked when the Mirror of Erised and a boggart both show you the same person.”

Draco Malfoy had stumbled across the Mirror of Erised once. When he had been fixing the vanishing cabinet he caught sight of it, hidden behind an old heavy curtain in the room of hidden things. He had been curious so he had pulled the curtain off and looked into the mirror in alarm.

He spun around at first, and frowned when he realised that there was nobody standing behind him. He even swiped around in the air to make sure there was nobody invisible. Draco’s heart was pounding when he turned back to the mirror.

The image hadn’t changed. There he stood, tall and proud with a genuine smile on his face. Standing next to him and holding his hand was none other than Harry Potter. He was smiling in that goofish way that Draco found so attractive. 

Draco was unsure how long he stared at the mirror for. He eventually threw the curtain back over it, and he avoided it like the plague every time he entered the room for the rest of the year. Little did he know that his son would stumble across that very same mirror several years later...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Scorpius Malfoy breathed a sigh of relief as he shut the door to the room of hidden things. He shot a grin at his best friend Albus Potter.

The dark haired boy laughed, “I can’t believe we got away with that.”

“Neither can I,” Scorpius said breathily as he stepped into the room and began to walk down an aisle of junk, “I was sure Filch was going to catch us.”

“Well luck was clearly on our side,” Albus said cheerfully, “Woah, what is that?”

Scorpius frowned as he looked at the mirror that Albus was pointing at. It looked like it had a golden frame. The old tatty curtain that had been thrown over it was falling off, and Albus gave it a yank. It fell to the floor and the huge dusty mirror stood before him.

Scorpius stood by Albus’s side and looked into the mirror. Albus frowned, “I don’t get it, what does it do?”

Scorpius frowned, in the mirror Albus was holding his hand. He glanced down, Albus’s hand was at his side. Albus noticed this and he frowned too, “Weird...”

“Yeah,” Scorpius said, glancing at the engraving atop the mirror.

“What language is that Scorp?”

“I don’t know,” Scorpius said honestly.

“You’re the Ravenclaw,” Albus joked, “Surely you know what it says.”

Scorpius cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. He realised that the writing was English, it was just back to front. It was very clever really, it was written to be read looking in a mirror. It said, “I show not your face but your hearts greatest desire.”

“I don’t know what it says,” Scorpius said shortly, “And it clearly has a mind of its own so I think we should walk away from it now.”

Albus hummed thoughtfully, “Hmm, my Mum always says that you should never trust something if you can’t see where it keeps its brain.”

Scorpius gave a stiff nod, “Come on Al, let’s get out of here before Filch figures out where we are.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco frowned down at the letter he was reading. He had been having his breakfast and perusing the prophet when Scorpius’s owl dropped in with it. Mercury was sitting on the table pecking absentmindedly at Draco’s hand which meant that Scorpius wanted a reply.

It was the last few words that had made Draco freeze.

“Oh and Dad, did you ever see a mirror in the room of hidden things? It had words engraved on it, they were in English but they were backwards. We call it mirror image encryption in Ancient Runes. They said, I show not your face but your hearts greatest desire. What does that mean?

Love,  
Scorp.”

Draco sighed and turned the letter over to write a short reply. He dipped his quill into an inkpot and scrawled,

“Scorp,

I came across the mirror once, but unlike you I wasn’t a Ravenclaw. I had no idea what the engraving said. What did you see in the mirror? I saw the thing I wanted most in the world. I think that is the purpose. It show you what you want, even if you don’t always know what that thing is.

Looking forward to seeing you this Christmas.

Love,  
Dad.”

Draco felt a headache coming on as he pondered the mirror once more.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Professor Potter,” Scorpius said quietly.

Harry looked up from his spot in the staff room, “Oh hello Scorpius. What can I do for you today?”

Scorpius looked around the staff room and when he was satisfied that it was empty he walked in, “I know you want us to refresh our boggart knowledge in this afternoons class. I’m not being smug or anything but we’re in 7th year and I have always been good at the Riddikulus charm.”

Harry raised an eyebrow at the blonde boy, “Scorpius, why do you want out of it so badly?”

Scorpius shuffled slightly, unfortunately the DADA Professor knew him fairly well because he was best friends with his son, “Well I practiced the other night on the boggart that lives in the professors desk in the abandoned classroom in the Herbology tower.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t just hear you tell me that you were in a restricted section of the school that has been structurally unsafe since the final battle,” Harry said with a slight smile.

Scorpius looked sheepish, “Sorry.”

“Are you embarrassed about the others seeing what your boggart is?” Harry asked.

Scorpius nodded, “I can’t...I can’t do it in the class.”

“Alright,” Harry said, “I understand that, trust me. We’ll do it here right now and I’ll mark you as an instant pass this afternoon in class,” he shut the door with a wave of his hand.

Scorpius’s eyes widened, “But...But I can’t have you seeing it either.”

Harry sighed, “Scorpius, I have seen a lot of things. I really doubt your boggart is going to scar me in any way. I have to see it or I will have to fail you and if I fail you, well it doesn’t look good in your final year report.”

Scorpius groaned, “But Professor Potter, you don’t understand! It’s personal.”

“Of course it is, it’s your greatest fear,” Harry said, “It’s supposed to be personal. I have taught Defence against the Dark Arts here for a long time Scorpius. I’ve seen a lot of boggarts, I won’t judge.”

Scorpius sighed but nodded, “Is there even a boggart in here?”

“There has always been a boggart living in this wardrobe,” Harry said as he gestured at the wardrobe behind them, “It’s been there since I was at school. Shall we do this?”

Scorpius nodded and muttered under his breath, “It’s coming out of a closet, how fucking ironic.”

“What was that?” Harry asked as he held the handle of the wardrobe.

“Nothing,” Scorpius said, the picture of innocence.

Harry gave him a disbelieving look and opened the wardrobe door. The boggart came out immediately and manifested itself. Scorpius grimaced as Albus appeared before him.

“I can’t believe you really thought I would return your feelings. You’re Scorpius Malfoy, you’re the son of a Death Eater. I’m the son of Harry Potter. How could I ever love you?” The fake Albus asked scornfully. 

Harry’s eyes widened as he realised why Scorpius had been embarrassed of the form that his boggart took.

“Riddikulus!” Scorpius said, banishing the boggart easily.

Harry shut the wardrobe door and looked at Scorpius whose cheeks were pink, “Flawless, I’ll pass you on that.”

Scorpius nodded, but kept his gaze on the floor.

“Scorpius,” Harry said slowly, “I don’t know if I should get involved here or not but this summer before he went back to school, Al came out to us. His Mother and I that is, nobody else knows. Not even James or Lily.”

Scorpius looked up with a frown, “Really?”

Harry nodded, “I know that doesn’t necessarily mean that he has feelings for you. But I, well personally I think that he does.”

Scorpius nodded as his cheeks burned, “Can I go now Professor. Potter?”

Harry nodded, “Of course. I’ll see you in class this afternoon,” he said as he opened the door wordlessly.

Scorpius gave a small nod and practically ran from the room. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Dad...”

Draco glanced over at Scorpius, he had hardly eaten any of his food, “Yes?”

“You know that I’m gay, right?”

Draco laughed, “Scorp, I’ve known that for years. I figured we were both mutually aware of it but were avoiding talking about it for one reason or another.”

Scorpius nodded thoughtfully, “You know that mirror I wrote to you about?”

Draco nodded, “You never did tell me what you saw in it.”

“Well what does it mean...” Scorpius began, frowning deeply, “...if your boggart is the same person who you see in the mirror?”

Draco laughed lightly, “Well son, do you want the honest answer?”

“Yeah, don’t sugar coat it,” Scorpius said, abandoning his attempts at eating dinner.

“It means you’re fucked,” Draco said bluntly.

Scorpius groaned and let his head fall onto the table with a thump, “I see Al in it.”

Draco could have laughed at the irony. Instead he said, “Well if you see Al in the mirror and your boggart is also Al, I would suggest that you maybe tell Al this. Or snog him in a broom cupboard then explain, whatever works best.”

Scorpius rolled his eyes, “Dad, it’s not that easy!”

“It’s incredibly easy Scorpius,” Draco said a little irritably, “There is no war, you are not a Slytherin and he is not a Gryffindor! There are no sides, you two are best friends. It is so easy for you!”

Scorpius frowned, “What are you talking about? You were a Slytherin...but Mum wasn’t a Gryffindor. Who are you talking about?”

“Someone that I lost a long time ago,” Draco said simply, “Someone that I never really had, but I always wanted. I lost my chance, but you have not lost yours and I will be very irritated if you let this pass you by because you are too scared to act.”

“But what if he doesn’t feel the same?” Scorpius asked, panic creeping into his voice, “What if he rejects me? What if it ruins our friendship?”

“Scorpius, this is Albus Potter that we are talking about,” Draco said with a pointed look, “If he doesn’t feel the same he’ll be very apologetic and things will be back to normal between you both in a couple of weeks. You won’t lose him as a friend, he’s far too noble to do that to you.”

“Noble,” Scorpius scoffed, “He’s a Slytherin.”

“Yes, but he’s also the son of Harry Potter,” Draco said simply.

“Ugh,” Scorpius groaned, “How do you tell someone who you have been best friends with for 7 years that you want to...”

“Drag them into a broom cupboard and have your wicked-”

“Dad!” Scorpius exclaimed in horror.

Draco chuckled, “I’m sorry. You’re going to Potter’s for New Year’s Eve, aren’t you?”

Scorpius just nodded.

“Merlin, I can’t believe I’m telling my son to do this - but, this is what you do. You have a couple of drinks because I’m sure one of the Weasley’s will have spiked the punch. You drag him over to one side and you spit it out. If he doesn’t feel the same then you both get drunk, what’s the worst that could happen?” Draco asked matter of factly.

Scorpius sighed, “You’re right.”

“I know,” Draco said calmly, “And you’ll let me what happens over dinner on the 1st?”

“Won’t Mother be here?” Scorpius asked warily.

“Yes, but she has also known for years that you like boys,” Draco said in amusement, “And she made a bet with me when you were 14 that you and Al would get together.”

Scorpius rolled his eyes, “You’re a terrible Father, betting on my sexuality and telling me to get drunk at parties! I’m a Ravenclaw, you know!”

Draco scoffed, “Means nothing son, some of the best nights I ever had were with Ravenclaws.”

Scorpius got to his feet, “Ugh, I did not need to know that, Dad!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Dad, do you know why Scorp didn’t do the boggart task in the last class of term?” Albus asked as he adjusted his dress robes and leant in the doorway of his parents’ bedroom. 

Harry glanced over at his son, “He just didn’t want to do it.”

Albus frowned, “But then he would have failed, wouldn’t he have?”

“No, he did it in the staff room with me at lunch time,” Harry replied as he slipped past Albus into the hallway, “And I passed him. He’s incredibly smart, a boggart was no trouble for him.”

“But why didn’t he do it in class then?” Albus asked, looking entirely bemused.

“Because he didn’t want anyone to see it,” Harry said, “Which is understandable, boggarts can be very personal things. Not everyone is as lucky to be blessed with a simple boggart like a giant china doll.”

Albus rolled his eyes, “Lily terrorised me with those things when she was tiny!”

Harry snorted in amusement, “Whatever you say Al.”

“So what is Scorpius’s boggart then?” Albus asked noisily.

“That’s really not my place to say, you should ask him that,” Harry said pointedly, “And you should also help your Mother in the kitchen.”

Albus rolled his eyes again, “Fine,”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The punch had been spiked, by James Potter and Fred Weasley. That came as no surprise, but it was a relief. Scorpius took his Father’s advice and poured himself and Al a large glass of the spiked punch.

“So,” Albus said, “You didn’t do a boggart the other day.”

Scorpius rolled his eyes, “And?”

“Well Dad said you did do it, in the staff room,” Albus said, “So what could be so bad that you didn’t want to do it in front of the class?”

“It’s not your business, you nosy git,” Scorpius said, drinking faster than before. Merlin, he was going to need a lot more courage to have this conversation.

“I’m your best friend!” Albus objected, “You know everything about me, why are you being so weird and closed off? Ever since we saw that mirror...wait a minute, you know what the writing on that mirror said!”

Scorpius sighed, Albus knew him too damn well, “Yes, I do.”

“What did it say then?”

Scorpius took a shaky breath, “It said, I show not your face but your heart’s desire.”

Albus frowned, “Well then it obviously didn’t work on us because we didn’t see anything different.”

“Yes we did,” Scorpius said quietly, “We were holding hands.”

“So my hearts greatest desire is to hold your hand?” Albus said with a nervous laugh.

Scorpius frowned, “Al, my boggart is you. It’s you telling me that you could never have feelings for me because my Dad was a Death Eater and because you’re a Potter.”

Albus’s eyes widened, “Oh.”

Scorpius kept his gaze firmly on the ground, Oh, that was seriously all he could think of to say?

“Oh...that makes so much sense,” Albus whispered.

Scorpius’s head snapped up and his eyes met Albus’s, “What does?”

“Everything,” Albus said, his eyes searching Scorpius’s.

Scorpius opened his mouth to ask Albus what the hell he meant, but before he got the chance Albus had taken a step forward and captured his lips in a kiss. Scorpius decided not to be alarmed by the fact that they were surrounded by Potters and Weasley’s. He just breathed a sigh of relief against Albus’s lips and returned the kiss.

Goddammit it, he was going to have to tell his Father that he had been right.

THE END :)


	15. A Day in the Life of Hermione Jean Weasley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Romione. It's actually a canon pairing, holy crap!  
> \- Literally a day in the life of Hermione, as if she was the Head of the Unification and Separation Division of the Muggle Liaison Office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this tumblr post by ‘curryalley’;
> 
> “Ok so we know that some wizards marry Muggles, which means that at some point in the relationship there has to be a conversation that goes, “Honey, I’m a witch. Stop laughing. This is my wand, I send letter by owls, and can travel in your fireplace.” And for some people, once their partner gets out their wand and does a spell, they believe it and adjust. But there has to be some Muggles that NOPED right out of there. So like is there a Department of Breakups inside the Obliviation office for when things go wrong? Do you have to send a sad little owl to the Ministry to have your ex’s memories erased after the relationship ends?”

Hermione’s day began as it always did. She woke up early while Ron snored on and drooled all over his pillow. She went downstairs, made herself a cup of tea and read the newspaper, all before Rose and Hugo had even appeared in the kitchen. She cooked them all some breakfast, and Ron eventually appeared when the smell of bacon invaded his nostrils.

She kissed Ron goodbye as he rushed out of the door. She kissed him goodbye again when he rushed back in because he had forgotten his Auror robes. She rolled her eyes at the children as they giggled at their Father’s silliness. Hermione then dropped the children off at their wizarding tutor and headed into the Ministry.

She smiled at the wizard on duty as she handed him her wand to be checked. She made small talk about the weather, and asked him about his family. Then she got into an elevator and rode it to level 3. Hermione proceeded to walk along the corridor to her office. She worked in the Muggle Liaison Office which was within the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. Her job was complicated, but she had always thought that her job title said it all. On the door of her office there was a bronze plaque which gleamed;

“Head of the Unification and Separation Division  
Hermione Jean Weasley.”

Hermione sat down in her comfortable chair behind her desk and opened her diary. What was on the cards for today? There were a lot of meetings booked into today so it was clearly going to be a busy day. The meetings were with Suzanna MacInnes, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Jackson Green, Dennis Creevey, Lorelai Naysmith and the last meeting of the day was with Rosalie Greengrass. It seemed as though the rest of the day was going to be filled with paperwork. There was a lot to catch up on, last week had been a very busy week. It always got busy around Halloween, it seemed to be the peak season for telling your other half you were actually a supernatural being. Surprisingly, or perhaps not surprisingly, April Fools was their quietest period. 

Hermione wiled away the early morning filing, and scribbling and filling out forms. She had just finished her third cup of tea of the day when a knock sounded on the office door.

“Come in,” Hermione called, opening her notebook and grabbing a pen.

The door opened and a tall, dark haired witch entered the room. She had clearly been crying because her eyes were red and bloodshot.

“Sit down Miss. MacInnes,” Hermione said kindly.

“Suzanna please,” Suzanna MacInnes said as she sat down across from Hermione.

Hermione smiled, “Suzanna, it’s lovely to meet you. How can I help you today?”

Suzanna’s eyes filled with tears, “I told my boyfriend I was a witch yesterday.”

“And he didn’t take it too well?” Hermione asked.

Suzanna shook her head, “He thought I was joking until I pulled out the wand and did a spell He ran out the house screaming, and now he’s saying I’m a mad woman. He’s staying with his Mum.”

“We’ll get the Obliviators out straight away,” Hermione said, glancing sympathetically at the girl, “We’ll only remove the memory of you telling him that you’re a witch. But from there on it’s down to you I’m afraid. You can carry on with the relationship and pretend you aren’t a witch but I don’t think anyone should have to hide who they are.”

“So my other option is breaking up with him,” Suzanna sniffled.

Hermione nodded, “Or we can erase all of his memories of the relationship.”

Suzanna shook her head, “No, I want him to remember me.”

“Alright,” Hermione said gently as she signed the bottom of the paperwork she was filling out, “I just need you to fill this form in for me.”

Suzanna continued to sniffle as she filled in the essential criteria. It was mostly simple things like her name, address, age, blood status, occupation, what school she had attended. Then there was the name, address, age and occupation of her other half, well ex-other half. The last part was what got most people in tears, the big field at the bottom named “Reason for separation.”

She signed the form and slid it back to Hermione, promptly bursting into tears as she did so. Hermione handed her a box of tissues from beneath her desk, just an average day in the life of Hermione Weasley. There were a lot of tears, a lot.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione’s second meeting of the day was with Justin Finch-Fletchley. She did not know the man well, but she had been in the same year as him at school and he had been a Hufflepuff. They knew each other to say hello to in the passing, but they had never been particularly close.

“Good morning Mr. Finch-Fletchley,” Hermione said politely when Justin walked n.

Justin smiled at her, “Justin, we went to school together Hermione.”

Hermione chuckled and gestured to the seat across from her, “What can I do for you today, Justin?”

Justin sat down and crossed his legs. He looked a little sheepish, “I had a drunken one night stand with a muggle girl.”

Hermione tried not to judge, “Alright.”

“And I showed off,” Justin said sheepishly, “I went to primary school with her and I was a bit of a nerd back then. So I did wandless magic, and I told her I was a wizard.”

“Was she intoxicated as well?” Hermione asked, pulling a form out from under the desk.

“Yes, but she remembered it the following morning,” Justin admitted, “And if I had just done that I could have pulled it off as a cool trick but...”

“What else did you do or say?” Hermione asked, refilling her fountain pen and beginning to write.

“I told her about Hogwarts, and I showed her my Auror robes,” Justin said warily.

Hermione sighed, “Justin, I’m not supposed to judge but-”

“I know, it was really stupid of me,” Justin cut in, “Trust me, Hannah has already ripped me to shreds for it. Neville wasn’t much help, he just stood there laughing while she did it!”

Hermione smiled slightly, “It would be funny if you hadn’t practically broken the statue of secrecy. You’re lucky that I know you, I could report you for that.”

“Why aren’t you?” Justin asked, “I mean I’m grateful that you aren’t, but we were never close friends.”

“You got petrified for a year too, I sympathise therefore I’m going to be kind,” Hermione said, an amused smile playing on her lips, “Please tell me you know this girls name or phone number. If you don’t this could be a really difficult situation.”

“I know her name,” Justin said, “It was Pearl Amour.”

Hermione couldn’t help it, she raised an eyebrow at Justin.

The Hufflepuff rolled his eyes, “Yes, she was a prostitute. Just write the name down.”

Hermione chuckled, but she did so. She also took the only information that Justin had about this girl, her mobile phone number, “Okay Justin, I need you to fill in this paperwork and I’m going to have to fine you. I really can’t avoid it, I won’t report you but you did spill unauthorised information to a muggle. That’s going to be a 15 Galleon fine.”

Justin nodded, “It’s fine, I’ll pay it by cheque right now.”

“That would be very much appreciated,” Hermione said as she handed Justin a pen and an inkpot. He choose the pen and began to fill in the information, looking very red in the face.

“And I have to say it Justin,” Hermione said, the smallest of smiles playing on her lips, “Next time don’t get so drunk, or sleep with a witch.”

Justin looked thoroughly told off, “I’ll keep that in mind,” he mumbled.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Good afternoon Mr. Green,” Hermione said cheerfully.

Jackson Green smiled at Hermione and took a seat across from her.

“How can I help you today?”

“I got married last week,” Jackson began.

Hermione smiled, she loved the happy stories, “Congratulations!”

Jackson’s smile widened, “Thank you. My Husband knows that I’m a wizard, and he’s always been fine with me. But I need to get a wizarding permit for him so that we can buy a flat in Hogsmeade.”

“Of course,” Hermione said as she pulled out the correct paperwork, “Do you work at the castle?”

“I just accepted the position of Charms Professor,” Jackson said, he looked around the same age as Hermione. Maybe a year or two older, “It won’t be easy to fill Professor. Flitwick’s shoes though.”

“No,” Hermione chuckled, “He was a fantastic teacher, but I am sure you will be just as good. The school is gradually getting a younger staffing panel.”

“It’s very progressive,” Jackson said happily, “I wasn’t sure if it would impact my career in the wizarding world, being gay that is. It isn’t exactly accepted.”

“Yes, which I disagree with,” Hermione said honestly, “Is your marriage a muggle one?”

“Yes,” Jackson said, “It isn’t legal here, after all.”

“Are you in a wizarding civil partnership?” Hermione asked as she scribbled this information down, “Because you will have to be for me to be able to grant your Husband a permit.”

“We are, yes,” Jackson said.

“Great,” Hermione said as she slid the paperwork over to him, “I’ll just need you to fill out this paperwork. Once that’s done we will review the information and your Husband will have his permit within about a week. It will be delivered to your desired address by owl post. If you are starting a position at the castle I would suggest getting it delivered to Hogwarts. That way it won’t get lost in the post when you move.”

Jackson smiled, “Thank you for being so helpful, and accepting.”

Hermione’s smile widened, “Of course.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Good afternoon Dennis,” Hermione said, smiling brightly at the young man who had entered her office.

Dennis Creevey smiled right back. He had been sad after losing his brother, but he had recovered and Hermione had always gotten on well with him. He was a photographer for the Daily Prophet and he had always sent her an owl to ask before submitting photographs of her and Ron to the paper.

“Hiya Hermione,” Dennis said cheerfully as he sat down across from her.

“How can I help you today?” Hermione asked him, she knew he was dating a lovely muggle girl called Lucy Wilkinson and she really hoped this wasn’t a separation meeting.

“Well I told Lucy that I was a wizard last night,” Dennis admitted, “And she took it fine, in fact she laughed with happiness. She was starting to wonder if I was a vampire.”

Hermione laughed heartily, “That’s great.”

Dennis nodded eagerly, “I was so relieved that I got a little bit ahead of myself and proposed to her. But she said yes.”

“That’s fantastic, congratulations,” Hermione said cheerfully, “So you’re here to fill out the paperwork for a wizarding bonding ceremony I presume?”

“Yes,” Dennis nodded, “We’ll have a muggle wedding so that all of her family can come, and most of my family don’t even know that I’m a wizard anyway. But I want to make it official here too.”

“That’s perfectly understandable,” Hermione said, “It’s a really easy form to fill in but Lucy will have to sign it so I’ll give it to you to take away.”

She slid the paperwork to him, “You simply fill in your basic information at the top here, and then you will have to provide proof of your address and that you can live in this country. So for Lucy that will probably be her passport, and your Daily Prophet permit will suffice just fine. Use copying charms and pop them in with the paperwork. You’ll also need to include a cheque for 12 Galleons, that’s just the standard fee for the bonding ceremony to be performed.”

“Perfect,” Dennis said, scooping up the paperwork and popping it in his bag, “We’ll do that as soon as we can. Do we owl it back to you or does it go to another department?”

“Nope, owl it back to me and I’ll file it straight away,” Hermione said, “The administration department will floo you to arrange the date and time of the ceremony after everything has been processed.”

“Brill,” Dennis beamed, “Thanks Hermione, I’ll see you at the charity ball at Potter House next week. I promise to snap a few perfect snapshots of you for the front page.”

Hermione laughed, “You flatter me Dennis, congratulations again.”

“Thanks, I’ll pass that on to Lucy,” Dennis said as he left the office with a skip in his step.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Good afternoon Mrs. Naysmith,” Hermione said as a middle-aged woman entered the office.

“Good afternoon,” Lorelai Naysmith replied as she sat down across from Hermione.

“How can I help you today?” Hermione asked calmly.

“I’m divorcing my Husband,” Lorelai began.

“I’m very sorry to hear that,” Hermione said politely.

Lorelai shook her head, “Don’t be. He was a miserable old sod. I don’t know what I ever saw in him. He’s known I was a witch, and he used to be alright with it, but ever since I told him about the divorce he’s started drinking. Drinking too much if you get my meaning.”

Hermione gave a small nod.

“So he’s going into bars talking about bloody dragons and Nifflers. I was a dragon handler for years until I had my babies, then I started working in the local Niffler sanctuary in the East end,” Lorelai explained.

“I see,” Hermione said, “What age are your children?”

“Maisie’s 9 and Logan’s 6,” Lorelai replied.

“And have they shown any sign of magic?” Hermione asked, scribbling away at her paperwork.

“Yeah,” Lorelai replied, leaning back in her chair, “They both get a bit accidental with it when they lose their temper.”

“Okay,” Hermione said thoughtfully, “This is a tricky situation Mrs. Naysmith. We can’t erase the fact that magic exists from your children. But we do need to erase it from your Husband. You will of course want him to retain his memories of the relationship and the children, I presume?”

“Yeah, I’m not that heartless,” Lorelai said.

“In which case the best course of action is going to be to erase the knowledge of magic from his mind entirely,” Hermione explained, “You will have to tell him that your children are at boarding school when they go to Hogwarts. Alternatively we could place a blocking charm on him which would stop him from speaking when he thinks about magic. However, these can cause significant mental problems. Being able to think about something but not say it, can be very disconcerting.”

Lorelai nodded and appeared thoughtful for a moment, “Make him forget about magic then. I can handle lying to him about that, I concealed an affair for 7 years after all.”

Hermione tried to remain impartial. She didn’t know whether to laugh or raise an eyebrow. She simply smiled slightly and slid the paperwork across the desk, “I’ll need you to complete this paperwork for me. After that the Obliviators will bring your husband in to perform the procedure. It’s very difficult and it can take a few hours, but rest assured, he will not remember any of it.”

Lorelai smiled and pulled a pencil from behind her ear, “Thanks Mrs. Weasley, you’re a star.”

Hermione smiled at the woman, this job could be very rewarding, despite the difficult nature of it.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione’s last meeting of the day was with Rosalie Greengrass. She recognised the name so she had a quick look in the Database of Registered Witches and Wizards (or the DRWW as it was more commonly known). She realised that Rosalie was a cousin of Daphne and Astoria Greengrass. Hermione had gone to school with both sisters who had been in Slytherin house. Daphne had been in Hermione’s year, and Astoria had been in Ginny’s year. She recognised the name because she had seen a Daily Prophet article a few years ago detailing Draco Malfoy’s marriage to Astoria Greengrass.

“Good afternoon Miss. Greengrass,” Hermione said with a smile when the young woman entered the office.

Rosalie barely managed a smile as she sat down across from Hermione. Her eyes were bloodshot and there were bags beneath them, she looked exhausted and Hermione felt instantly sorry for her. She hated it when the day ended on a sad note, especially when there had been cheerful meetings.

“How can I help you today?”

Rosalie, who was clearly younger than her cousins because she barely looked 20, replied, “I need my boyfriend’s memories erased.”

“He’s a muggle?” Hermione asked, pulling the paperwork from the drawer and glancing at the clock unwittingly. She was looking forward to going home and getting cuddles from her children now. She always felt that way at this time of the day.

Rosalie didn’t notice, she just nodded miserably, “I told him about magic. He called me a freak and screamed when I pulled out my wand,” she sighed.

“I’m sorry,” Hermione said, she genuinely felt sorry for this young woman, “Well there are several things that we can do. We can erase his memories of you completely or we can erase the instance of you telling him about the magic. But this means you will have to break up with him or continue to date him without letting him know you are a witch and I never recommend that path.”

Rosalie looked down guiltily, “I don’t know what to do,” she admitted tearfully, “I was testing the waters. I didn’t want to tell him about the baby until I knew where he stood with magic and now I’m even more confused.”

Hermione’s eyes flickered to her stomach, she was wearing a very baggy t-shirt, “You’re pregnant?”

“2 months,” Rosalie practically whispered, “And Merlin knows how the rest of my family will feel about that. It was bad enough when I became the first Greengrass in Godric knows how long to become a Ravenclaw. But now the first Greengrass to date a muggle and have a less than perfectly pure baby. I mean my cousin married Draco Malfoy and had a perfect little Malfoy heir, you see what I have to live up to here? Gosh, I’m sorry. This has nothing to do with you.”

Hermione smiled, “It’s fine, I understand how hard it is when you find out you’re pregnant and the situation isn’t right. I was working over 40 hours a week and my Husband was in hospital after nearly being killed when I found out I was expecting my first child - he’s an Auror,” she added when she saw the look of alarm on Rosalie’s face.

Rosalie nodded in realisation.

“And that perfect pure-blood Malfoy is probably a spoiled little monster like his Father,” Hermione said, amusement shining in her eyes, “I would know, I was at school with him.”

Rosalie rolled her eyes, “How unlucky for you.”

Hermione chuckled, “Yes he wasn’t the most pleasant of people. Now, I can give you my recommendation here but the final decision has to be yours. I would recommend erasing his memory of magic, but not of you. That way he will be able to support you and your child, financially and emotionally.”

“But will he?” Rosalie asked, frowning deeply, “He was disgusted when he found out that I was magical. There’s a massive chance this baby will be too, that he or she will go to Hogwarts one day. I couldn’t hide it from him, and I wouldn’t want my child to have to hide who they are from their Father. I think that...maybe I’m just better off without him in my life completely.”

“If you are certain about that then we can proceed that way,” Hermione said gently, she could see how hard this was for Rosalie.

Rosalie nodded, and a few stray tears fell into her lap, “That’s just the way that it has to be.”

“Okay,” Hermione said, sliding some paperwork across the desk, “This is the paperwork you need to complete, but the administration department has shut for today. So I would suggest taking it home and filling it out there. This is a huge decision and I really want you to be sure that it’s the right one. Perhaps talk to your cousin Daphne about it? I think she might understand, her Husband is a half-blood.”

“It’s not the same,” Rosalie sighed.

“I know it’s not,” Hermione said honestly, “But I remember how much she was ridiculed for marrying Dean Thomas. She might understand more than you think, she isn’t the sister who is concerned with status.”

Rosalie gave a small laugh as she put the paperwork into her handbag, “I will talk to her, and I will think about it. Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” Hermione said honestly.

Rosalie left the office after that. Hermione was exhausted and starving, so she packed everything up and turned the lights out for the day. She got into the empty elevator and leant against the wall with a heavy sigh. When it stopped on level 2, two of her favourite people got in.

“Ron! Harry!”

Harry beamed, “Hey Hermione,” he said as he kissed her on the cheek.

Ron gave her a kiss on the lips, he wouldn’t have done it in a crowded elevator but it was only the three of them, “How was your day?”

“An emotional rollercoaster, as always,” Hermione said honestly, “How was yours?”

“Stressful,” Harry yawned, “Three manor busts.”

“In one day?”

Ron nodded, “Yeah, I am looking forward to sitting down tonight,” he said. He looked just as exhausted as Hermione.

The elevator came to a stop and they walked out into the atrium. Hermione hugged Harry and they all said goodbye. They waited in line at the fireplaces, and she and Ron floo-ed back to their home in Ottery St. Catchpole. Hermione got the dinner on, and Ron helped by chopping the vegetables. It had barely been placed on the table when the back door opened and Molly came in with Rose and Hugo. She looked after them after their tutoring finished at 3pm. 

They briefly spoke and then Rose and Hugo bid their Grandma goodbye. They sat around the table talking about their day. Hermione told Ron that Dennis Creevey was getting married and Ron told Hermione that Harry had fallen in a pile of cow dung that morning. Rose and Hugo giggled as Hermione chastised Ron for speaking like that in front of the children, and at the table none the less! Rose and Hugo chattered about their day, they talked about how they had learned about the First World War today. They told their parents that cousin James had played a prank on them all, and that Scorpius Malfoy had joined their tutoring class. Rose thought he was an idiot, but Hugo found him quite funny. Hermione and Ron shared amused looks behind the children’s backs.

When they had finished eating the children helped to clear and wash up. Then they all retired to the living room where they wiled away the rest of the night playing board games. When Rose had disappeared up to bed with a book she had stolen from Hermione, and when Ron had read Hugo his bedtime story, they eventually managed to crawl into bed themselves.

Hermione sighed with contentment and snuggled into Ron. He smiled and lay a kiss on her forehead, “Night love.”

“Night Ron,” Hermione said sleepily as she contemplated her life. It was ordinary, incredibly ordinary, but it was perfect and she would not change a single thing about it. The war had enabled her to enjoy the small and simple things in life. It had made her truly appreciate every single day so she would continue to cherish the little things like standing in the doorway watching Ron read their son a bedtime story. The little things like making a client’s day at work, like kissing her Mother-in-law on the cheek and thanking her profusely for picking the children up from their tutor.

Because at the end of the day, it was the simple things in life that mattered.

THE END :)


	16. The Badger and the Snake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucissa. Lucius Malfoy is an idiot, and Narcissa has to marry him. If she had it her way she would run away and travel the world with her best friend Susan Bones. But the only way for that to happen would be for Lucius to die under mysterious circumstances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this tumblr post by ‘cats-books-and-tea’;
> 
> “You like plotting a garden, and I like plotting to kill - Hufflepuff/Slytherin friendships.”

“Who was it this time?”

“Almina Crouch!” Narcissa said, throwing herself onto the yellow and black patch-work quilt.

Amelia Bones raised an eyebrow at her friend, “Almina Crouch? As in the due to be married Cygnus Greengrass, Almina Crouch?”

“Yes,” Narcissa said as she glared at the wall, “That Almina Crouch.”

Amelia sighed, “Narcissa, why are you putting yourself through this?”

Narcissa stared up at the ceiling.

“Don’t you dare say ‘because I love him’, I’m not going to swallow that bullshit,” Amelia said firmly, “He’s screwed two other girls so far and you’re only engaged.”

“I don’t have a choice Amy,” Narcissa said as she looked at the redheaded girl, “I have to marry him as soon as I graduate or I will be disowned. Bella made a good marriage-”

“Bella’s husband beats the shit out of her,” Amy exclaimed, “He used the cruciatus curse to punish her, he forces her to make him dinner with the fucking imperius curse!”

Narcissa shut her eyes tightly, “Which is why I will marry Lucius rather than anyone else my Mother tries to force me towards! He likes women far too much, but I would much rather have a traitorous husband than an abusive one!”

“Why do you need a Husband?” Amelia asked, crossing her arms, “Why can’t you just tell them all to fuck off and travel the world with me?”

“Because I’m a pure-blood and I need to make a good marriage,” Narcissa said, it sounded rehearsed.

“Cissa, I’m a pure-blood. Do you see me planning any weddings?” Amelia asked in disbelief.

“You don’t have to,” Narcissa groaned, “You two older brothers, one of whom is already married. I am one of three sisters, we all have to marry. It’s the way it works!”

“That’s your Mother speaking,” Amelia muttered, “Why don’t we just murder Lucius and run away together?”

Narcissa smiled slightly, “You’re the Hufflepuff, leave the plotting to me.”

“Hey, I can plot just fine!”

“Yes, you can plot a garden,” Narcissa teased with a wicked grin, “However, a murder is a different story.”

“Go on then, how are we going to do it?” Amelia asked, her eyes sparkling in amusement.

“We will have to wait until the next Hogsmeade weekend. I’ll entice him to come for a walk to me towards the mountain-”

“Ah, a quiet spot next to a dodgy pub,” Amelia said dramatically, “The perfect location for the sinister deed.”

Narcissa grinned, “And then I will take his wand, wearing a pair of gloves of course-”

“Of course,” Amelia said with a very serious nod.

Narcissa kept a straight face as she continued, “Then I will murder him with the killing curse. I will fake a suicide letter and put his wand next to him. Nobody will ever know that it was me.”

“Until you run away with me and they get suspicious,” Amelia pointed out, “Our plan has to be even more dastardly than that. We get a dementor, we convince it to suck Lucy’s soul out of his chest. The Aurors will think the dementor just got a bit over-excited and he will have no memories to extract. The perfect murder my darling.”

Narcissa cocked her head, “It’s a marvellous idea Amy, but there is one large flaw.”

“Which is?” Amelia asked.

“Dementors can’t be controlled,” Narcissa said with an amused smile.

“I could control one,” Amelia said confidently, “I sweet talked Rosier into showing me his dark mark.”

“I don’t think a dementor would respond the same way to you flicking your luscious red hair and fluttering your eyelids,” Narcissa teased.

“I am not the one with luscious hair, you’re dating him,” Amelia laughed, “And we aren’t really going to kill Lucy boy, are we?”

“No,” Narcissa laughed, “But plotting his death does make me feel better.”

Amelia smiled at her friend, “Well that’s something then. I can’t stop you from marrying him, can I?”

“No,” Narcissa said with an apologetic glance.

Amelia sighed, “Well I guess I’ll just have to find someone else to travel the world with. You are ever so replaceable after all Cissa.”

Narcissa grinned at her best friend, “I am irreplaceable and you know it. I bet my life that you will die a lonely old spinster while I’m surrounded by kids.”

Amelia snorted in amusement, “I’m not going to pine after you for that long Narcissa, a year or two maybe. I’ll cry when I see your wedding photograph in the paper I suppose, but then I’ll move on. I’ll find a far better best friend with better music taste. I mean honestly, Celestina Warbeck should not be anyone’s idol.”

Narcissa smiled at her, “Just admit that you’re going to miss me when we graduate tomorrow Amy.”

Amelia actually looked vaguely serious, “I will miss you. You’ve been there for me through a lot. You were there when my parents died, and you were there for me after my disastrous one night stand with Sirius Black.”

Narcissa laughed, “Your taste needs to improve.”

“Says the girl marrying Lucius Malfoy?” Amelia asked, quirking up an eyebrow.

Narcissa ignored the jibe and leant across the bed to hug Amelia, “I’m going to miss you too. But you can visit me.”

Amelia shook her head, “Cissa, we both know that we’re going to be entering different worlds when we leave the safety of Hogwarts. You’ll be married to the purist, idiotic fucking idiot I have ever met and I’ll be joining whatever secret society is forming to fight in this war we can all feel coming. We won’t be on the same side anymore.”

“I’ll always be on your side Amy,” Narcissa said honestly.

Amelia smiled sadly at her, “Well you’re going to have to pretend that you aren’t honey. I don’t want your idiotic future husband killing you for being friends with me. We’ll get through this mess and then you can divorce the idiot.”

“And then what?” Narcissa asked, a smile playing on her lips.

“Then we’ll run away together,” Amelia grinned.

Narcissa smiled at her, “Deal,” she said.

They shook hands, but it was all artificial. They both knew that everything would change when they left Hogwarts. They both knew that Narcissa would be unable to get out of her marriage to Lucius Malfoy once it had happened. Not unless he died, and as much as they joked they wouldn’t really kill him. Well Amelia might, if he did to Narcissa what Rodolphus Lestrange did to her sister Bellatrix. As of tomorrow evening they would effectively be on opposite sides of a war, and Amelia doubted whether they would ever get back to the same side after that.

Life moved on tomorrow, and their lives would take them down very different paths. Such was life, but boy was life a fucking bitch sometimes.

THE END.


	17. Astronomy, my Dear Lupin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius & James are discussing very real problems, like what happens if you put a werewolf on the moon? And what came first, the chicken or the egg?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this tumblr post by ‘deathpup’;
> 
> “What happens if you put a werewolf on the moon?”  
> “He would explode and die because there is no oxygen on the moon...”  
> “We never said we would send him up without a suit, you absoloute monster.”

“Now here’s the thing Prongs,” Sirius was saying one evening in the Gryffindor common room, “We really don’t study the real problems in Astronomy. Yes Mars is in line with this star sign, and that means I’m going to get laid this weekend. But then again, I already knew that.”

James laughed loudly, “Alright Padfoot, if we shouldn’t be studying your ability to get laid, what should we be discussing?” he asked as he and Sirius did their Astronomy homework together. They had both taken it as a N.E.W.T because it was an easy pass, and they wanted to be able to focus on their main subjects so they could get into Auror training.

“Well the question is of the physics of space obviously,” Sirius said brightly, “Right, Remus?”

Remus raised an eyebrow at the man, “The physics of space, Pads?”

“Yes,” Sirius said, leaning back against the sofa, “Real problems that could happen to real people. Not what this star is going to do, or when this planet is going to turn. How about this for a conundrum; what happens if you put a werewolf on the moon?”

Remus looked nervous, “Sirius-”

“That is a very good question Pads,” James said thoughtfully, “Very much a case of what came first, the chicken or the egg?”

“What came first the moon or the werewolf?” Sirius asked in a mock lecturer tone, “Did the moon’s light create the wolf? Does it control the wolf? Or does the wolf control the moon?”

“Did the wolf create the moon to harness great power once a month?” James said with an amused grin.

“What are you lot talking about, Potter?” A new voice asked from behind the sofa.

“The physics of space and the conundrum of life Lily flower,” James replied, irking the head girl.

Lily rolled her eyes, “I am not your flower, Potter. What on earth are you talking about?”

“What came first smarty pants, the chicken or the egg?” Sirius asked Lily conversationally.

Lily frowned, “That’s a primary school question, Sirius.”

“What’s the answer then?” James challenged.

Lily smirked, “The answer is the chicken. The first living things on earth were fish and then they evolved into land creatures over several years. So the chicken evolved from some sort of living organism and then it laid an egg.”

“Did you just say orgasm?” James asked.

Lily glared at James as Sirius snorted in amusement, “I said organism Potter. And what were you saying about werewolves and moons?”

“Oh,” Sirius said brightly, “What happens if you put a werewolf on the moon Lil?”

Lily rolled her eyes yet again, “Uh the werewolf would explode and die because there is no oxygen on the moon.”

Sirius looked horrified, “We never said we would send him up without a space suit! Lily Evans, you absoloute monster!”

Remus snorted in amusement despite the fact the joke was at his expense. Sirius shot him a grin, and Lily looked irritated.

“So you aren’t talking about anything of actual consequence then,” She said with a smug look, “I’m going to bed.”

“Can I join you?” James asked, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Lily glared at him, “No James Henry Potter, you most certainly cannot! Goodnight!” she said as she stalked up the staircase to the girls dorm.

“Well she’s feeling particularly uptight tonight,” James said matter of factly.

“She can’t stand you,” Remus pointed out in amusement.

“She wants me,” James said confidently, “She just won’t admit that to herself yet. When she eventually gives in the sex is going to mind-blowingly-”

“Yeah, I don’t want to hear any more of that,” Remus said, getting to his feet and yawning, “I’m going to bed.”

“Are you sure you aren’t going to the moon?” Sirius teased with a broad grin.

Remus shot his friend an amused look, “I really hope that question is entirely theoretical Pads.”

“Totally theoretical,” Sirius said with a sincere nod.

“Entirely theoretically,” James agreed seriously.

Remus shot them a wary look before disappearing upstairs. The second his cloak had disappeared from view James and Sirius turned to each other with matching grins. They then both asked very similar questions in unison;

“Where can we find a space suit?”

“Where can we find a rocket ship?”

THE END :)


	18. Make Me Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drarry.  
> Draco loves fall. He loves everything about the season. But Harry hates it because the entire season is a reminder of his parents and their death. Draco is fed up of his boyfriend moping around so he decides to make him fall in love with fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this tumblr post by ‘foxy-pumpkin’;
> 
> “reasons why fall is superior:  
> -no heat  
> -chilly weather  
> -no sweating  
> -halloween  
> -sweaters  
> -boots  
> -jeans  
> -no shaving  
> -flannel  
> -pumpkin spice everything  
> -leaves changing colors  
> -pumpkins  
> -cute animals getting ready to hibernate  
> -cozy pajamas  
> -thanksgiving  
> -it’s not summer  
> -candy  
> -fall scents  
> -literally everything”

Draco Malfoy loved fall. He had always loved the season. He had loved it from the moment he had jumped into a pile of leaves in the back garden of Malfoy Manor. His Mother had shrieked in fear, terrified that he would drown amongst the leaves. His Father had scoffed and shaken his head when he realised that Draco had ripped the sleeve of the new cashmere sweater that he had bought him.

Harry Potter on the other hand, hated fall. He hated it with a passion, and he had never been able to see the beauty in the season like others did. Like Draco did. To him fall was a time of pain and suffering. The red leaves on the trees made him think of his Mother with her fiery personality and bright red hair. Halloween was a horrible day, he hated it. It was the day his life had changed, the day the people who created him had been ripped out of his life. 

The first year that they were together Draco had accepted Harry’s hatred of the season. Harry knew that he was downplaying how much he enjoyed the time of year, but at the time he wasn’t particularly worried about that. He was just glad that Draco was respecting the way he felt about it. However, by the time their second fall came around, they had moved in together.

This of course changed everything. Harry could not hide from how much Draco loved fall, and Draco was determined to show Harry that it really could be a wonderful time of year, despite the tragedy that marred the season for Harry. It started out in a fairly subtle way, and it began as soon as the leaves began to change in late August, early September. They had a large flat with a spare bedroom that they rarely used. In all honestly the only people who ever stayed there was Ron (when he had said something particularly stupid to Hermione and had been thrown out of the flat for it) and Theo (when he had done something slightly illegal and was hiding from the Aurors, the irony being that Harry was an Auror).

Draco’s first day off in September was when it all began. He switched his wardrobe around, putting his polo shirts away in the wardrobe in the spare room and replacing them with his large stash of cashmere jumpers. Harry thought he suited them very well so he didn’t complain. Draco’s jumpers were fitted and elegant, and Harry’s...well Harry had a stash of Weasley jumpers and several cosy knitted garments that had come from Hermione. So while Draco looked very smart in his cashmere jumpers and chinos, Harry slobbed around in jeans and knitted jumpers adorned with snitches, dragons, lions and house elves wearing santa hats. 

Harry had thought nothing of this wardrobe change, nor had he blinked an eye when Draco got rid of his designer trainers and replaced them with winter boots. However, when Draco began to make little comments here and there Harry cottoned on to what his boyfriend was doing.

“Ah,” Draco sighed one night as he sat on the sofa, a blanket wrapped around him and a book in his hands, “I do love this weather. It’s so nice not to be roasting alive, don’t you think?”

Harry shrugged, “I like summer.”

“Yes, you would,” Draco said slightly irritably, “You tan, I burn.”

“That’s because you have the complexion of a vampire,” Harry said with an amused glance at the blonde, “Fancy a cuppa?”

Draco nodded glumly, no doubt he was upset that his plan did not seem to be working.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As September wore on Draco continued his attempts to turn Harry into a lover of fall. He decided to try and woo him, which was amusing but it didn’t make Harry like the season anymore.

“You look good in fall.”

Harry frowned as he put the pasta he was cooking for dinner on to simmer, “How do I look any different than I do at any other time of the year?”

Draco smirked slightly, “Well you wear jeans more often in fall and you’re arse looks glorious in jeans.”

Harry grinned, “Why thank you,” he said in amusement, taking two wine glasses out of the cupboard.

“And then there’s the whole flannel thing,” Draco said slyly, “You have a lot of flannel shirts and I don’t know why but it really turns me on. You in jeans and flannels shirts that is.”

Harry snorted in amusement as he turned to face Draco once more, “Me in jeans and flannel turns you on?”

Draco nodded, “Maybe it’s the small town, homeboy thing.”

Harry shook his head in amusement and turned away from Draco so that he could pour the wine, “Well as honoured as I am, I still hate fall.”

“I’m just letting you know why I love fall,” Draco murmured as he came up behind Harry and pressed something rather hard against the arse he had just been talking about, “I mean you can feel how much I love you in fall, right?”

Harry chuckled as Draco kissed his neck, “Yes, I can. But it’s not going to make me love fall. Nice try though.”

Draco rolled his eyes and groaned as he stalked away from Harry into the living room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I love the smell of frost in the morning.”

Harry rolled his eyes, “It’s 6am and it’s freezing! Shut the window!”

Draco sighed and pulled the kitchen window shut, “Don’t you just love that frosty smell?”

“No,” Harry yawned.

“I love the cold,” Draco said, “It’s so nice to just lie under a blanket and huddle for warmth. It’s far better than being sticky and sweaty in summer.”

“I quite like being sticky and sweaty with you,” Harry said somewhat suggestively.

Draco grinned at his boyfriend, “Well I like it too, but I’m just saying that I quite like cold weather.”

“I like cold weather too,” Harry admitted, “I like the weather in winter. I like ice skating and snow ball fights and Christmas trees. But I don’t like humid sticky weather and that is what the weather is like in fall.”

Draco sighed, “I’ll never make you love this season, will I?”

“Nope,” Harry said as he grabbed his briefcase, “And I’m gonna be late so I have to go. Love you.”

“I love you too, even if you do hate fall,” Draco said huffily.

Harry chuckled and kissed Draco on the lips, “I’ll see you tonight. Stop trying to make me fall in love with a season that I hate!”

“Whatever,” Draco grumbled as Harry left their flat.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“What the hell are you drinking?”

“Pumpkin spiced latte,” Draco said with a smirk, “It’s delicious, try some.”

Harry frowned at his boyfriend but accepted the cup he was holding out. He sipped the drink and hummed, “That is nice.”

“Finally, you like something about fall!” Draco said, a hint of excitement slipping into his voice, “I love pumpkins.”

“To eat or look at?” Harry asked in amusement. 

They were sitting in Hagrid’s hut having agreed to tea, coffee and a catch-up with the man. However Hagrid had run off rather unexpectedly when Fang had chased a deer into the forbidden forest. Draco was looking out of the window at the giant pumpkins outside the hut.

“Both, they’re very appealing, all big and plump and orange. I wish I could pull off orange,” Draco said thoughtfully.

Harry snorted, “Draco, you could pull off just about any colour.”

Draco shook his head, “No, I definitely can’t pull off orange. You can though, you look very catching in that orange jumper of mine that you stole.”

Harry smiled, “Do you just love fall because you always want me in jumpers, jeans and flannel?” he teased.

Draco grinned, “Well that is part of the allure of the season, but I’ve always loved fall. I’ve loved it ever since I was a little kid...”

“I’m sorry that I don’t,” Harry said, resting his hand on top of Draco’s, “It has nothing to do with you, and your efforts to try and make me fall in love with it are valiant. But stop wasting your time babe.”

As a general rule Harry never used pet names. Draco did all of the time, but Harry only used them when he was taking the piss. A.K.A, “Honey, I’m home!” or “Yes, darling!” or when Draco was particularly sick with man flu “Oh poor baby.” So his use of ‘babe’ really struck Draco. He did mean that he appreciated Draco’s efforts, but he really did not feel like he would ever be able to love fall.

Draco gave him a small nod and squeezed his hand, “Okay,” he said simply, but it was enough.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco did not actively try to change Harry’s opinion after that but he didn’t hide how much he loved the season either. He bought a fall themed air freshener and sighed contently every time he walked into the room and it sprayed. It never failed to make Harry smile.

They took their dog (well it was really a crup) for a walk around the park across the road from their flat. As always they walked around the park hand in hand. They had never hidden their relationship in the muggle world or in the wizarding world. They had lived in this area for long enough now that people smiled at them and said hello in the park, with no regard for their sexuality. Harry couldn’t help but chuckle when Draco stopped in his tracks to watch something unfold.

“Look,” Draco breathed, “look at the cute little squirrels with their nuts in their mouths, all ready to hibernate.”

“I wish I could hibernate some winters,” Harry chuckled as the crup barked loudly, “They’re only squirrels Padfoot,” he murmured.

The dog whined a little but stopped barking as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the squirrels.

“They’re so cute!” Draco said, “Look at them!”

Harry smiled and gave Draco’s arm a tug, “They are very cute, but we have to finish walking Padfoot and get home. We have that Halloween party at the Weasley’s that we can’t get out of, remember?”

Draco nodded and allowed himself to be dragged away from the incredibly cute family of squirrels.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I’m sorry that you hate Halloween,” Draco murmured.

“It’s fine,” Harry said softly, “But thank you for dragging me away from all of that.”

They could hear the noise of the party behind them, but they were safely removed from it. It had gone on well into the night, and Harry was exhausted as early morning approached. A party at the Weasley’s was always a guaranteed night out after all.

Draco had been able to tell that the whole thing was getting to be a bit much for Harry so he had dragged him out to the orchard and they were sitting on a bench Draco had transfigured out of fallen branches.

“Do you always think about it, every year?” Draco asked, his arm around Harry.

Harry nodded glumly, “I can’t help it. Everything about Halloween makes my blood run cold. I just imagine the kids running around the streets in their costumes with no idea that the caped man walking past them was a mass murderer. I imagine the pumpkin outside my parent’s door that Voldemort blew out before he walked into the house and killed him. The smell of pumpkin soup makes me wonder if that was what they ate that night. If that was the last thing that they ate...the sweets make me wonder if they would have had trick or treaters at the door if it weren’t for the fidelius charm...”

Harry trailed off, and Draco gripped his hand tightly, “I really do understand that, all of it. But at the same time you can only write over the bad memories by making new ones, happy ones.”

“You’ve helped me make a lot of happy memories, Draco,” Harry said honestly, he smiled wistfully at his boyfriend, “I don’t just think of my parents anymore when I think of fall. Halloween still sucks, but the season as a whole doesn’t. I think of you and your obsession with cute animals now, and I think of your love of anything with pumpkin spice in it. I think of you curled up with a blanket and your favourite book. I think of waking up in the middle of the night with you clinging on for warmth.”

Draco smiled sheepishly and glanced down.

Harry chuckled at his sudden shyness, “You showed me that there really is some beauty in fall, Draco. The leaves changing colours used to make me sad, I saw the red leaves and I thought of my Mum. Now I see the old leaves dying for the new leaves to grow and I see new starts because of you. I never thought about the smell of frost in the morning, but now I smell it and I think of you. When I walk to work and the grass crunches beneath my feet I just think of you walking over that frost covered grass before anyone else can touch it and loving the sound of it beneath your feet.”

“Have I really managed to make you fall in love with fall?” Draco asked in surprise.

Harry laughed and looked up, catching Draco’s mesmerizing grey eyes, “You made me fall in love with you. I love how much you love fall and now everything about it reminds me of you.”

“Was that a yes?” Draco asked with a sly smile.

“It was a sort of,” Harry said softly, his lips inches away from Draco’s.

Draco smiled slightly and leant forward, capturing Harry’s kiss in a slow, soft kiss. Harry’s eyes fluttered shut, mostly out of instinct but also because he was exhausted. Draco broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Harrys, “Does this mean you’ll be drinking pumpkin lattes and jumping into piles of leaves with me next summer?”

“Don’t push it,” Harry murmured, placing another soft kiss on Draco’s lips.

THE END :)


	19. Expecto Patronum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drarry. Draco has to produc a fully corporeal patronus in Auror training and he could melt into the ground when that patronus takes its form.

Draco Malfoy had always known that Auror training was not going to be easy. He had expected the stares and the glares. He had expected the muttering, and the pranks, and the curses. He had expected the duels and the hexes. He was the son of a man who was rotting in Azkaban for his crimes. He was a former Death Eater himself, and these people had fought against those he had stood with. He had never expected an easy ride, he had expected to have to fight his way through the next three years to become a fully qualified Auror. 

He knew that he was innocent. He had watched terrible things happen, but he had never participated in those things. Some people thought that made him just as bad, but in the eyes on the Ministry he was innocent. His trial had determined that, the fact they had let him join the Aurors determined that. Some people saw that, but those people were few and far between.

Draco was fairly certain that Harry Potter saw that. They hadn’t spoken since they both began Auror training, but every so often Draco had caught Potter sending him a sympathetic glance when people yelled rude things in the corridors. He was quieter without his sidekick, Weasley had decided to help his older brother out with the joke shop. Longbottom was here instead, but his friendship with Potter was different. He was more of a calming influence, or so it seemed to Draco anyway. They didn’t get partnered up immediately, they had to work in pairs on certain jobs but most of their training and studying was solo. In the 6 months they had been training together Draco had yet to work with Potter which he was very grateful for. He didn’t know how that would go down.

The blonde man pulled himself out of his reverie as a bell sounded, signalling the end of their incredibly boring class on disguise and stealth. He got to his feet and slung his bag over his shoulder. He walked a short way behind Potter and Longbottom who were laughing about something or other as they walked to their Advanced Defence against the Dark Arts class down the corridor. Draco was dreading it, he had been all week because he knew that today was their final class in patroni magic. Gradually his silver fog had begun to take form, but he had yet to manage a fully corporeal patronus and if he failed today he would be marked down for the entire class.

He flung himself into his seat and watched as people were called to the front of the class to cast their patroni. By the time the Professor called out Longbottom’s name Draco was well and truly nervous. He knew that he was next. Longbottom didn’t look at all concerned as he easily sent an enormous elephant soaring across the room. This merited a round of applause, and Draco felt sick as his name was called. He got to his feet and walked to the front of the class, desperately trying to think of a memory happy enough to conjure a fully corporeal patronus. That had always been his problem, finding a happy enough memory.

He made the mistake of looking out at the class when he stood at the front of the room. They were all frowning at him, watching him like he was going to fail. All but two, Longbottom looked curious and Potter looked sympathetic. 

Draco shut his eyes tightly. He thought of his Mother, the memory was an old one. He was around 4 years old, and they had gone for a walk in the snowy gardens around the Manor on Christmas Eve. He fell over and spluttered and cried in the snow. His Mother had leant down and scooped him into her arms, warming him up and singing to him. He remembered thinking that she must be an angel and the memory had never failed to make him smile. 

When Draco opened his eyes he made sure not to look at the class. He stared at the window and focused hard on the memory, “Expecto Patronum!” he shouted with all of his might.

He watched hopefully as the silver mist exploded from his wand. He thought it wasn’t going to take shape, but it did and he was on the verge of grinning with delight when the smile was wiped right off of his face.

His eyes widened, and his grip on his wand loosened as the huge, majestic stag pranced across the room. He followed it as it sprung out of the door into the corridor, and then his eyes fell on Potter. His eyes were wide, and realisation seemed to be dawning in them. Next to him Longbottom was smirking and giving him a knowing sort of look. The rest of the class were just stunned, everyone knew that Harry Potter’s patronus was a stag. Everyone was silently debating the significance of the fact that Draco Malfoy’s patronus was too. 

“Uh, thank you Malfoy,” Their Professor said.

Draco gave a stiff nod and walked briskly past Potter and Longbottom to his seat at the back of the classroom. He sat down and stared resolutely at his notes, he did not want to look anywhere near Potter. He thumbed through the notes to the last few classes where they had studied patroni magic, and his heart began to sink as he read the words he had written in previous weeks.

“Patroni magic is a variety of soul magic and thus it is claimed that it holds the key to soulmates. For example, a wizard may have a lion patronus and the witch he is destined for may have a lioness patronus.”

Next to this official note Draco had scribbled, “Potter’s Father had a stag patronus, his Mother had a doe patronus.”

He could have hit his head off of the desk in frustration. What the hell did that mean? Why was his patronus a goddamn fucking stag? Well it was obvious really. His patronus was a stag because he was bloody well in love with Harry fucking Potter.

“Oh fuck me,” Draco muttered under his breath as he let his head onto the desk with a loud thump.

THE END :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this tumblr post by ‘cassiafrankincense’;
> 
> “Oh fuck me” - Draco Malfoy, upon casting a corporeal patronus for the first time, and it’s a goddamn stag.


	20. Nostalgia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drarry. Harry is pining for the late 90's and Draco has no idea why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on something I heard in a TV show I watch called “Gogglebox.” I love the two gay guys, I watch them and I’m constantly picturing Draco and Harry!

"Sometimes I wish I could go back to the 90’s.”

Draco frowned at his long-term boyfriend, “You spent the 90’s being hunted by Voldemort. You got attacked by three headed dogs, giant snakes, werewolves, dragons and Death Eaters throughout that entire decade!”

Harry glanced at Draco in amusement, “I meant the late 90’s. The golden days, when the war was becoming a distant memory and everyone partied like it was the millennium. Do you remember the party at the Burrow for the millennium?”

Draco raised an eyebrow at Harry, “I can’t forget it after what you did to me in Ronald Weasley’s bedroom. Why on earth are you being so nostalgic? It does not suit you.”

“I’m turning 40 tomorrow,” Harry said as he stared at his dress robes. They were hanging up at the end of the bed, ready to be worn for his big birthday party tomorrow evening, “I’m old, I want to be young again.”

Draco scoffed, “There’s being young again and then there’s going back to the late 90’s.”

“What was wrong with the late 90’s?” Harry objected.

Draco looked at Harry in amusement, “You had no sense of style, you had a terrible hairdo and you shagged women! Do you really want to go back to that?”

Harry shuddered slightly, “No...”

Draco smirked, “The only good thing about the late 90’s was our rendezvous’ in the bathroom of every official and unofficial event we attended and you let yourself get so caught up in how wrong it was.”

“I was engaged, and you were married,” Harry pointed out, “It was wrong.”

“Didn’t stop you though,” Draco smirked, “You even married the Weaslette and had kids with her.”

“And you had a kid too before your marriage fell apart,” Harry said with a roll of his eyes.

Draco waved a hand, “The difference was that Astoria always knew that I was gay and had flings on the side for years. You spent years pretending you were straight and ravaging me in broom cupboards before you eventually got a divorce.”

Harry sighed and glanced up at the ceiling, “You’re right, the late 90’s did suck. I can’t believe I slept with women for so long...”

“Neither can I,” Draco snorted, “I slept with Astoria once to make Scorpius, that was enough for me.”

Harry laughed loudly at the remark and turned his head to the side, “But that party for the millennium...”

Draco grinned, “Yeah, that’s a night I wouldn’t mind reliving,” he said, “Unless you’re too old for it, of course.”

Harry smirked at the challenge in his eyes, “Never.”

THE END :)


	21. Gullible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drarry. Draco is incredibly gullible when it comes to facts about the Muggle world and Harry finds it hilarious.

Draco Malfoy was a very intelligent man. He was a Potions brewer, he occasionally provided cover for Horace Slughorn at Hogwarts. He read lots of books, but the problem was that all of them were wizarding books. His boyfriend took advantage of this, just like he took advantage of the fact that Draco had never seen a muggle movie, and refused to ever go and see one.

They were lounging in their flat one evening when Harry had an idea. He decided to test it, to see quite how clueless Draco was when it came to the muggle way of life. Because if he was honest, it irritated Harry. He quite liked some muggle customs and he actually missed them. He wanted to sit in a movie theatre eating popcorn with Draco and holding his hand. But to enable this to happen, he would have to convince Draco that he really did know nothing about Muggles.

“Draco, do you know what I found out about Dumbledore when I was on the run finishing that mission for him?” Harry asked conversationally. 

Draco closed his book and looked up at Harry, whose lap he was lying in, “No, but I’m sure you’re going to enlighten me.”

Harry put on his best straight face, “He had a squib brother called William, but everyone called him Willy.”

“Lots of pure-bloods and half-bloods have squib siblings,” Draco said with a frown, “That’s not exactly a huge shock.”

“It was pretty cool though, what he did for a living that is,” Harry said, “He created this chocolate factory, but he had knowledge of magic even though he couldn’t use it. He got goblins to work for him, and he made this factory like a wonderland. There were rivers running with chocolate and huge toadstools that were actually marshmallows. He made bubblegum that tasted like an entire meal, and gobstoppers that you could suck forever.”

Draco looked vaguely impressed, “That is pretty cool.”

“Yeah, he was famous in the muggle world,” Harry said matter of factly, “He even had the same eyes as Dumbledore. You know the real sparkly sort of blue?”

“Uh-huh.”

Harry nodded, “So the muggle world isn’t quite so dull as you think.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Did you know Albus Dumbledore had a squib brother?” Draco asked as he helped Hermione chop carrots in the kitchen.

“No, how do you know that?” Hermione asked with a frown.

“Harry told me,” Draco replied, Harry was in the living room catching up with Ron. The redhead had been off work for a while after getting injured on a case. Hermione had invited them both around for dinner to catch up, “He was called William and he had a chocolate factory. He was famous in the muggle world apparently, his chocolate factory had edible toadstools and chocolate waterfalls. He even gave out golden tickets to find an heir for his factory when he realised that he was going to die childless.”

Hermione couldn’t help it, she grinned in amusement, “Draco. That’s the plot of a muggle movie called Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”

Draco frowned, “What?”

“You would know that if you ever came to the cinema with me,” Harry said with a wicked smirk as he lounged in the doorway.

Draco looked like he might huff like a child for a moment. He glared at Harry and said, “Well I won’t fall for something like that again Potter!”

It still astounded Harry that Draco called him Potter. They had been together for nearly 5 years by this point.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Who is this old Uncle Bilius that the Weasel clan are always on about?” Draco yawned as he and Harry dragged themselves into their flat at a ridiculous hour of the morning after a poker night with the Weasley’s.

“Oh he’s Ron’s Uncle,” Harry said as he kicked his shoes off and locked the front door with a twist of his hand, “He was a real party animal, until he died.”

“How’d he die?” Draco asked, hanging up his coat and trudging towards the bedroom.

Harry grinned as he followed the blonde man, “He was killed by a rabbit.”

Draco snorted, “How does a rabbit kill a fully grown man?”

“Well if it’s a killer rabbit it can,” Harry said, dropping down onto their huge and incredibly comfortable bed, “Bilius went to hunt some beast living in a cave near the house with a bunch of his friends. This rabbit came out and they all started laughing, but it was obviously cursed or something because it just lunged at them and attached itself to Bilius’s face. It chewed his face right off.”

“Must have had rabies,” Draco yawned as he snuggled into Harry and fell straight asleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Have you ever seen a killer rabbit?” Draco asked his good friend, Lily Moon.

Lily Moon, who taught Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts, frowned, “A killer rabbit?”

Draco nodded, he was having lunch at the school today while he covered for Slughorn who had come down with a fever, “A rabbit that can kill.”

“I’ve never seen an ordinary rabbit that can kill a human, but a hare might be able to,” Lily said, “Why?”

“Oh you know Ron?” Draco asked.

Lily nodded.

“Well his Uncle Bilius got his face bitten off by a killer rabbit. It must have had rabies or something, Harry said that Bilius and his friends went out to this cave to find it and it just lunged at him and bit his face right off.”

Lily smiled slightly, “You’re a proper full-blooded pure-blood aren’t you?”

Draco frowned, “Yes, why?”

“Because I am 99% certain that didn’t happen,” Lily chuckled, “It’s a plot line right out of a muggle movie called Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”

Draco groaned at his stupidity. He had been had by Harry again!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Can you believe that story in the prophet?”

“What one?” Harry asked as he bit into his toast, “There are a lot of stories in the prophet.”

“The one about the Nigerian woman being kidnapped by her Quidditch coach so he could use her talent to get rich here,” Draco said, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“Oh that? It’s not so hard to believe. I know someone who fell in love with their Quidditch coach actually,” Harry lied.

“Who? And don’t say I won’t know them because I know everyone that you know,” Draco said pointedly.

“You probably won’t remember Romilda Vane. She was a couple of years below us at Hogwarts,” Harry said offhandedly, “She was kind of obsessive, but she seemed nice enough. She went to one of those Quidditch summer camps, you know the ones they run in France?”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Draco said, intrigued now.

“She fell in love with her Quidditch coach, but he was far older and he had a girlfriend. She spent the whole year shagging him and playing Quidditch with him,” Harry said matter of factly.

“What happened at the end of the summer?” Draco asked, ever the romantic.

“Well the affair was discovered and the Quidditch coach got fired,” Harry said sadly, “And Romilda was gutted, I reckon she was really in love with him despite it all. She had been looking forward to the final match they always do in those sort of things, and she was gutted he wouldn’t be there. But he broke in and performed in the match, he kissed her in the middle of the Quidditch pitch too.”

“Are they still together?”

“Nah,” Harry replied, “Romilda’s a good time girl, she was over it within about a month.”

“It’s a nice story though, very romantic,” Draco said.

Harry nodded his agreement and tried his best to hide his smile.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“You’ll never believe who I saw today Harry.”

Harry glanced up at Neville, they were eating a delicious cheesecake with him and his wife Hannah, “Who did you see?”

“Romilda Vane, remember your little groupy?” Neville chuckled.

Hannah smiled slightly, “She was with Cormac McLaggen, of all people.”

“Well she likes Quidditch players,” Draco said offhandedly, “She had an affair with her Quidditch coach at one of those summer camps. He got fired when they found out and everything. He came back for the big game at the end of the match though, he even kissed her in the middle of the pitch.”

Hannah smiled through her hands at Draco, “You’ve been had again Draco. That’s the plot to a muggle chick flick called Dirty Dancing, only it’s dancing not Quidditch.”

Draco looked at Harry irritably. The dark-haired man grinned, “When will you learn?”

“Oh screw you Potter!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This continued for months...and years.

“Soph, did you know goblins stayed in the forbidden forest?”

Sophie Roper, a half-blood Slytherin who had gone through school with Draco, looked up from her ice cream, “Uh...I’m pretty sure they don’t.”

“They do,” Draco said, they were catching up in Fortescue’s over ice cream sundaes, “I asked Lily, she teaches Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts. There aren’t many of them, but a few do live out there. Apparently they stumbled across a witch from the castle who had gotten lost, and she lived with them. She taught them how to cook and everything, can you believe that? Goblins cooking?”

Sophie snorted, “No, I can’t believe that. How does this story end, did the goblins eat her?”

“No,” Draco replied indignantly, “She was petrified by a basilisk and fell into a deep sleep. But then-”

“Her one true love found the cure and woke her up, and they kissed?” Sophie finished with a raised eyebrow.

Draco could have cursed in frustration, “It’s the plot of a bloody movie isn’t it?”

“Uh-huh,” Sophie grinned, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves to be precise. You really need to agree to go to the cinema with Harry or this is going to continue for years.”

“I am not going anywhere near a muggle cinema and I will not fall for this anymore!” Draco remarked irritably.

Sophie didn’t look convinced.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I’m sorry that you got laid off Justin.”

Justin Finch-Fletchley sighed, “Ah it’s just one of these things Draco. Ever since the war we’ve been losing business. People just don’t shop for ordinary clothes at wizarding stores anymore, they prefer the big, cheap muggle stores.”

“Well it’s still not ideal,” Draco said, he had bumped into the former Hufflepuff on Diagon Alley, “Not when you’ve got mouths to feed.”

“I’ll find another job,” Justin said, “It’s not the end of the world.”

“It could be a lot worse,” Draco agreed, “After the First Wizarding War they shut down a lot of businesses in Knockturn Alley. It got so bad that the staff of one clothing shop they had closed had to start a strip group to make money.”

Justin raised an eyebrow, “A strip group?”

“Yeah, they used to go around pubs and bars,” Draco said in a whisper, “To make money to feed their kids. At least you don’t have to do that.”

“Yeah because that never happened,” Justin said in amusement, “That’s the plot-”

“Let me guess, a bloody movie!”

Justin nodded, looking incredibly bemused, “Uh, yes. The Full Monty.”

Draco rolled his eyes, “I hate Harry. I can’t believe I fell for it again! Ugh! See you later Justin.”

“See you Draco,” Justin said, watching the cursing former Slytherin leave, and wondering what on earth he had just witnessed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Did you hear about Theo?”

“Yeah, I saw it in the prophet,” Draco sighed as he sat in Pansy’s living room drinking wine and gossiping. Harry was working the late shift, and he needed a good old catch up with his best friend.

“Daphne broke up with him,” Pansy said sadly, “But it would be hard, wouldn’t it? I don’t know if I could still love Blaise if he was a werewolf...”

“I’d still love Harry,” Draco said, “I don’t think it would matter if he was a werewolf or a vampire or anything.”

“It’s easy to say that though, but you don’t know how you would react if it really happened,” Pansy pointed out.

“I suppose,” Draco said slowly, “But werewolves can be loved you know. My cousin Nymphadora was really young and naïve but then she fell in love with this werewolf. It was the full moon and he accidentally kidnapped her in the shrieking shack. But he was on wolfsbane so he didn’t hurt her, and she saw how gentle and kind he was. So she spent the night just talking to him, but he couldn’t talk back obviously. Anyway, she fell in love with him and then she kissed him as the sun came up and he became a man again. That man was the guy she married.”

Pansy looked at Draco in amusement, “Honey, I’m not that well-versed in muggle movies. But even I know that’s not true. It’s a fairy-tale that they made into a movie, Beauty and the Beast.”

“Oh goddamn it!” Draco snapped, “Damn my fucking Husband!”

Pansy grinned, “You married him sweetie.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Xenophilius Lovegood has had a really interesting life,” Draco said as he rocked a small baby in his arms.

“How so?” Hermione asked as she watched the small baby begin to drift off, “Oh Draco, you really are the baby whisperer. Rosie kept me up all through the night.”

Draco smiled down at her, “She’s adorable, for a Weasley.”

Hermione rolled her eyes, “Charming. You were saying, about Xeno?”

“Oh yes,” Draco said in a whisper, “Well he had to wear braces on his legs when he was young which was why everyone made fun of him. He had a childhood sweetheart at Hogwarts, but everyone else bullied him and called him insane. After he left school he played Quidditch for England and got to meet the muggle queen. Then he went and fought in the First Wizarding War and lost his best friend. He came back and set up a shrimp fishing business for that friend because it was what he had always wanted to do-”

“I’m going to stop you right there because Harry has fooled you again,” Hermione said with an amused smile, “And you had better not curse this time in front of my baby girl.”

Draco just rolled his eyes, “What film was it this time?”

“Forrest Gump,” Hermione replied.

Draco shook his head, “I don’t know why I married him...”

“Because you love him, even if he does keep playing tricks on you,” Hermione teased, “You can put it all to an end if you just agree to go to the cinema with him.”

Draco sighed in a long-suffering way and glanced down at the little redheaded baby in his arms, “I hate it when he wins Rosie,” he mumbled.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

That had been the final straw. Draco returned to their flat after visiting little Rosie and Harry was still at work. However when Harry got in from his late shift that night he found Draco waiting for him in the living room. 

The blonde man got to his feet and stared at him, he crossed his arms over his chest, “You win.”

“What do I win?” Harry yawned, it had been a long night and he was exhausted.

“I don’t know anything about the muggle world,” Draco admitted, “And especially not about films. I’m really sick of you embarrassing me by telling the plots of movies and making me think they’re real!”

“Alright then, come to the cinema with me like I’ve been asking for years and I’ll stop,” Harry grinned.

Draco rolled his eyes, but he was smiling very slightly, “Fine, I will go to the muggle cinema theatre with you.”

“Movie theatre.”

Draco glared at Harry, “Don’t push it Potter.”

Harry’s grin only widened.

THE END :)


	22. Need You Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albius, Scorbus. Whatever you want to call the ship name! :)
> 
> \- Scorpius forced Al to go and see a scary movie, and now he's terrified. The result? Scorpius has to get into bed with him obviously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based a on a prompt from tumblr by ‘abbybabbles’. This one;
> 
> “Accidentally watched something too scary and has to share a bed.”

The wind howled outside of the bedroom window. The floorboard in the hallway creaked. The window made a strange squeaking noise. The pipes gurgled. Albus Severus Potter lay in bed with his eyes scrunched tightly together. He jumped when a loud crack of thunder sounded outside, and he opened his eyes as lightning flashed through the sky.

“Scorp!” Albus hissed.

Scorpius yawned from the floor, “What’s up Al?” he asked sleepily.

“Come here,” Albus whispered.

Scorpius opened his bleary eyes, “What?”

“Come here,” Albus said, pulling back the duvet cover and shuffling over to make room for his best friend on the single bed.

Scorpius sat up slightly, “You want me to get in your bed?”

“It can’t be comfy on the floor,” Albus said awkwardly.

Scorpius was a little more alert now, “Al, I’ve slept on the floor since I started sleeping over here when I was 11.”

“Yeah but when we were 11 you didn’t drag me out to a really scary movie,” Albus admitted sheepishly, “I’m hearing every sound and it’s freaking me out. Please Scorp.”

Scorpius sighed and reluctantly got into the bed, “If you tell anyone about this. If you tell Rose about this, you are-”

“- dead meat, I know,” Albus whispered as Scorpius grabbed the duvet cover and pulled it over himself. 

He shivered from the brief exposure to the air. This was an old house and therefore it was bloody freezing. Albus automatically shifted closer to Scorpius, and then froze in horror as he realised what he had done.

If Scorpius noticed he didn’t react. He just muttered, “The film wasn’t that scary Al.”

“It was the original Japanese version of the Ring,” Albus whispered, “It was terrifying.”

Scorpius laughed, and he was so close that Albus could feel the vibration. It made something stir within him, but he shut his eyes and pretended not to notice.

“I can see why you weren’t a Gryffindor,” Scorpius whispered, “and Merlin, your house is freezing. Even the manor isn’t this draughty.”

“I know,” Albus said under his breath, he shuffled a little nearer to Scorpius, “When Lily was little she used to sleep in the same bed as me to keep warm in the dead of winter. But that would be weird now.”

Scorpius looked at Albus in amusement in the dim light of the room, “You think?” he asked sarcastically.

Albus smiled slightly, “Yeah well we can’t all be smart arse Ravenclaws Scorp.”

“And we can’t all handle going to see a scary movie either, apparently,” Scorpius smirked.

Albus opened his mouth to reply, but before he could another crack of thunder sounded from outside. He jumped out of skin and clung onto Scorpius.

The blonde boy laughed under his breath, and Albus could feel his heart thumping in his chest. It wasn’t just because he was scared. It was also because he was pressed up against his best friend and he could feel his muscled body tense up.

“Sorry,” Albus began sheepishly. He was about to move away from Scorpius when the blonde boy gripped him and held him where he was. He lowered his lips slightly and tentatively kissed Albus.

He was clearly trying to scope out how Albus felt about the whole thing, but when he thrust against Scorpius and moaned into his mouth, he got his answer. Scorpius groaned as Albus’s erection rubbed against his own, “Merlin Al,” he breathed.

“Sorry,” Albus said sheepishly.

Scorpius looked at him indignantly, “Why are you stopping?”

“My parents’ bedroom is right through that wall,” Albus said in a horrified whisper, “And my Dad has super hearing.”

“Do you keep forgetting that you’re 17?” Scorpius asked in amusement, “Silencio, see? Simple, and would you quit saying sorry?”

“Sorry,” Albus said out of habit. He tentatively moved slightly closer to Scorpius, but before he could kiss the boy again another crack of thunder sounded. It sounded like it was right above them and Albus shrieked in alarm. 

He jumped again and wound up practical on top of Scorpius. The blonde boy smirked and wrapped his arms around Albus, pulling him down so that he could kiss him. Albus groaned as Scorpius subtly thrust against him and then, just as it was getting really bloody good, the bedroom door was thrown open.

Albus and Scorpius sprung apart and looked to the doorway in horror. 

“Dad!” Albus squeaked.

Harry gripped the doorframe as the colour drained from his face, “I really regret putting anti-silencing charms on your room Albus. It was when you were young, in case you got hurt so that we could hear you...but...but I really have to take them off.”

“Dad, I can explain-” Albus began nervously.

“Is he alright, Harry? - oh! Oh my gosh!” Ginny exclaimed when she saw her son in bed with his best friend.

“Mum!” Albus said in alarm.

Ginny smiled slightly, “Well it is about time that this happened.”

“Ginny!” Harry exclaimed, “He is in bed with the son of Draco Malfoy!”

“Oh Harry, he’s been friends with the son of Draco Malfoy for years,” Ginny said offhandedly, “He’s been making eyes with the son of Draco Malfoy for months. Honestly sweetheart, Al sings along to my Celestina Warbeck records and reads Witch Weekly. Didn’t you work out that he was gay?”

Harry shook his head weakly, “And I don’t mind that Al,” he said as he turned to his bemused son, “But this is Scorpius Malfoy.”

Scorpius frowned, “Mr. Malfoy, you’ve known me since I was 11.”

“Yes but you weren’t doing things to my son,” Harry said sheepishly.

Ginny snorted and gave her Husband a knowing look, “I think Al was doing things to him too, Harry.”

“Ugh, Mum!” Albus said in horror, “Get out, please!”

Harry shook his head, “Oh no, no way. I’m not leaving you two in here after what I just saw. You are far too young to be doing this sort of thing.”

“I’m 17!”

“Exactly!” Harry said. With a few waves of his hand he had thrown Scorpius to his bed on the floor and he had also flung up a shield charm separating the two boys, “We will be discussing this in the morning Albus. We’ll be talking about protective charms and...other practicalities.”

“Dad, please stop talking,” Albus said as he buried his face in his hands.

Ginny gripped Harry’s arm and steered him away from the door, “I think you need a stiff drink love.”

Harry nodded numbly, “Goodnight Albus Severus,” he said with a pointed look back into the bedroom.

Albus rolled his eyes, “Goodnight, Father,” he said sarcastically.

Harry didn’t even merit that with a response as he shut the door with a wave of his hand. From inside the room Albus called, “You can’t just shut me in with wandless magic when you’re pissed off with me!”

“If you swear again you’ll be having that chat with me and going hungry!” Harry said before Ginny pulled him further down the corridor.

They reached the landing and then a door opened. James stuck his head out, his shoulder length messy black hair all over the place and his eyes bloodshot, “What’s going on?”

“Your brother just got busted doing something with Scorpius,” Ginny said with an amused smile, “When did you get in?”

“Uh at 12, like I said I’d be back,” James said.

“Liar,” Harry said with a slight smile, “Good night?”

“Great night,” James grinned, “Fred got drunk and danced on a table with this lovely girl named Lola. She had great-”

“Yeah, I think I’ve heard enough son,” Harry said with a shake of his head, “I’m still scarred by what I just saw your brother doing with Scorpius Malfoy.”

“You should have seen what I caught him doing in a broom cupboard with Jack Wood then,” James retorted, “I never wanted to see my brother-”

“I don’t want to hear the end of that!” Harry exclaimed, “I really don’t.”

James grinned, “Have a firewhiskey Dad,” he said as he patted his Father on the back, “Night.”

“Night James,” Ginny said with a fond smile at her eldest child, “I’ll have a hangover potion ready for you tomorrow morning.”

“You are a star Mum,” James said with a sleepy grin as he disappeared back into his bedroom.

Ginny shook her head and steered Harry downstairs. When they reached the kitchen they realised that Lily was pouring herself a glass of water and rubbing her eyes.

“What has you up at this time darling?” Ginny asked as she reached into the cupboard and retrieved a bottle of rum.

Lily yawned, “I heard shouting. Did James bring back one of his many girlfriends?”

“No, the shouting was us,” Harry said, “And Al.”

Lily narrowed her eyes, “You and Al never fight and Dad, you never drink at 3am. What’s going on?”

“Let’s just say that your Dad just found Al and Scorpius in a compromising position,” Ginny said slowly.

Lily’s eyes widened, “You caught them having sex?”

“Lily, you are far too young for that!” Harry exclaimed.

“Dad, I’m a prefect,” Lily said in amusement, “I catch people having sex all of the time, in the strangest of places...”

“Catching them doing it and doing it yourself is a different story Lily Luna!”

“Ugh Dad, not the full name,” Lily said with a roll of her eyes, “I am a prefect and I am a Ravenclaw. How stupid do you think I am? I’d use protection at the very least.”

Harry sat down weakly on a kitchen chair, “Why are all my children becoming grown-ups? I’m only 42!”

Ginny smiled at her daughter in amusement as she forced the glass of rum into Harry’s hand. She patted him on the back, “There, there, Harry.”

Lily tried to hide her grin, “I’ll leave this to you Mum and I’ll avoid Al’s room on my way up. Goodnight.”

“Night Lily,” Ginny said with a chuckle.

Lily disappeared up the stairs and Harry shook his head, “My son is sleeping with the spawn of Draco Malfoy.”

“Harry, you’ve known Scorp since he was 11. Don’t you think calling him the spawn of Draco Malfoy is a bit dramatic?” Ginny asked with a raised eyebrow, “Are you not in the least bit concerned that Al is gay? Is this really all about who he’s with?”

“I think I always knew that Al was gay,” Harry said honestly, “So it doesn’t come as a surprise and I love him regardless anyway. I mean do you remember that fancy dress party we went to when Al was 8? James went as Merlin and Al went as Rowena Ravenclaw.”

Ginny chuckled, “I remember because I remember how much shit some of the other parents gave me for letting my little boy dress up as a girl. I said back then that he could be whoever he wanted to be, and I stand by that now. I love Scorpius, he’s become like a second son to us and he clearly makes Albus happy. He is nothing like Draco.”

“Yes but if he and Albus are together,” Harry said, “That means dinner parties with Malfoy...”

“He’s not that bad,” Ginny said in amusement.

“He’s Malfoy!”

Ginny rolled her eyes, “You’re being melodramatic. Drink that rum. Now apart from the fact that it’s Scorpius, what’s wrong?”

“He’s only 17!” Harry exclaimed.

Ginny raised an amused eyebrow, “Harry, are you forgetting the age that we were when we first had sex? Become I seem to remember a very enjoyable experience in the room of requirement, and an interesting encounter behind greenhouse 3. Not to mention that time in the Quidditch changing rooms. What age were we again? Oh, right, I was 15 and you were 16!”

“That was different! We grew up fast because of the...war,” Harry said sheepishly.

Ginny smirked, “No, the only time you can blame on the war is that time before Bill and Fleur’s wedding, which was fun by the way. You thought you were going to die and that it might be our last tryst. But the rest of it while we were at Hogwarts, all you can blame that on is teenage horniness.”

“I’m being a hypocrite, aren’t I?” Harry asked as he drank deeply from his glass.

“Uh-huh,” Ginny said with an amused smile.

“He’s 17, and he can do whatever he wants,” Harry sighed, “Even if that is Scorpius Malfoy.”

“He’s a nice boy Harry,” Ginny said, “You know he is.”

Harry nodded, “Yeah, I’ve always liked Scorpius.”

“So there is no problem,” Ginny said as she pushed herself to her feet, “Which means you will apologise to Albus tomorrow. You do need to have a chat with him about protective charms and the like though.”

“Yeah, I know,” Harry said with a shake of his head.

“And I suppose at some point we should invite the Malfoys round for dinner,” Ginny said with an amused look.

Harry groaned and let his head fall onto the table with a soft thump, “Why did my son have to fall in love with the spawn of Draco Malfoy?” he muttered as Ginny laughed wickedly and left him alone with his bottle of rum.

THE END :)


	23. Of Quidditch & Cupcakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DRARRY. A totally corny and fluffy one, you have been completely warned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on a tumblr prompt by ‘shittyaus’;
> 
> “We’re both single parents and our kids go to the same school and are best friends but we are ultimate rivals and our bake sale brownies are going to slaughter you and your kids’ lame cupcakes.”

Harry Potter still didn’t like Draco Malfoy very much. However he was forced to see the man far more these days. The reason? Well his son Albus had come home for Christmas in his 1st year at Hogwarts with his new best friend, Scorpius Malfoy.

Harry could have groaned in frustration, but he was just glad that Albus had found a friend. He was fairly shy and he found it difficult to make friends. Harry was glad that he had at least one friend who wasn’t one of his cousins.

This new friendship had threatened Harry and Draco’s arch-enemy status however. With the war over and Voldemort gone Harry needed this. He couldn’t lose his nemesis just because his son had decided to become the BFF of said nemesis’s son. He was fairly certain that Draco felt the same because when they passed each other in the corridor a few weeks after this whole ‘best friend’ announcement they glared at each other. The glare wasn’t the usual ‘I fucking hate you Potter - yeah I fucking hate you too Malfoy’, it was a whole different sort of glare. It was a glare of frustration.

These glares had been exchanged for a good few weeks before Harry and Draco finally found a way to modify their arch-enemy status. They could hardly go about their lives like they wanted to kill each other anymore. It wasn’t a good example for the children after all. But they were never going to shake hands and become best buddies. So their rivalry was taken to a whole new level. It went from being a schoolboy rivalry to being a competitive Fathers rivalry (which, although Harry would never admit it, was so much more fun).

The whole thing got kicked into motion at the end of Albus and Scorpius’s 1st year. The school year had closed with a parent-child Quidditch match for ages. Harry and Ginny had taken it in turns until this point to play with James. However this year they could both play, Harry entered with Albus and Ginny entered with James. Draco entered with Scorpius, and Harry seized the opportunity to best his rival once more.

“Al, we’re going to kick the Malfoys arses,” Harry said in their pre-game chat.

Albus frowned as he held his broomstick, “But Scorpius is my best friend.”

“This is a competition son,” Harry said, excitement gleaming in his eyes, “The winning team is the team that catch the snitch and score at least 50 points. We’ve got to be brutal.”

“It’s just for fun, Dad,” Albus said.

Harry narrowed his eyes at Draco across the pitch, “It’s a competition and we’re going to win.”

Draco narrowed his eyes right back at Harry.

“But Dad, I don’t want to take it too seriously. Scorp and me are friends,” Albus said logically.

Harry however, was no longer listening.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“We’re going to beat those bloody Potters Scorp,” Draco said firmly from the other side of the pitch.

Scorpius followed his Father’s line of sight, “I know you don’t like Al’s Dad, but it’s just a game.”

“No, it’s a competition and I’ll be damned if I let Potter win it,” Draco said sternly, “We’re going to beat them, alright?”

Scorpius shrugged, “Alright, I’ll try. But I’m not playing dirty, Al is my best friend!”

Draco scoffed, “Friendship is for the weak Scorpius. You’re a Slytherin, you’re supposed to be ambitious. That means victory at all costs, even against friends.”

Scorpius rolled his eyes, “Because that worked so well for you and Grandad didn’t it? Victory at all costs. It’s a game Dad, stop being so dramatic.”

“Dramatic?” Draco exclaimed.

“Yes,” Scorpius said, sticking his nose into the air and stalking onto the pitch.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As it turned out, team Potter won that one. Harry grinned smugly at Draco as the blonde man stood with his arms crossed. Scorpius didn’t look particularly bothered about the loss. Just like Al didn’t look particularly excited about the win. But this wasn’t about their sons, it was about Draco and Harry. They had their rivalry back, and it felt good.

“You’re taking this whole rivalry thing quite seriously,” Ginny murmured as they stood around drinking lemonade and eating cake after the match.

Harry scoffed, “It’s Malfoy, of course I am.”

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, “Harry, ever since we divorced I’ve been waiting for you to announce you’re running away with Malfoy.”

Harry looked at her in disbelief, “What? Me and Malfoy? Ugh Ginny, what is wrong with you?”

“Nothing is wrong with Ginny. In fact, she’s very perceptive and completely right,” Hermione said, appearing on Harry’s other side with a smirk upon her face.

Harry shook his head at them both, “This is a rivalry Hermione. It’s an intense rivalry. You two are just completely delusional.”

“Of course we are!” Hermione called after him in amusement.

Ginny sighed in disbelief, “When is he going to admit that he’s wanted Malfoy since he was Albus’s age?”

“He’ll probably still be denying it after he’s slept with him,” Hermione said with a pointed look.

Ginny just snorted in amusement.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Things literally heated up in Albus and Scorpius’s 2nd year. As part of a ‘Get Ready for Work’ week the whole year group had a business competition. The aim was essentially to market a baked product and then sell it. The student who sold the most won, and they received a prize of 100 points for their house.

Harry and Draco seized the chance.

“Peanut butter and salted caramel or red velvet cupcakes with vanilla icing?”

Albus looked at his Dad with a strange look, “How do you know so much about cupcakes?”

“I took a cupcake masterclass last night,” Harry said matter of factly, “So that I could help you win this challenge.”

“That’s cheating,” Albus pointed out.

“The rules only said not to use house elves, and the Malfoys will probably do that anyway,” Harry said offhandedly, “Therefore it’s not cheating. What do you think?”

“Uh peanut butter is an acquired taste and not everyone will like it,” Albus replied.

“So red velvet it is then,” Harry said, tying Ginny’s old pink apron around his waist, “Let’s win this competition Al!”

“Dad, why are you being so competitive?”

“I want you to make the most of these opportunities Al,” Harry said, “I mean after all by the time I was your age I had defeated a dark lord twice.”

“Oh Merlin, not the ‘when I was your age’ chat again,” Albus muttered under his breath, “Are you sure this has nothing to do with Scorp’s Dad?”

Harry laughed loudly, and quite falsely, “Malfoy? Draco Malfoy? No, why would this have anything to do with Draco Malfoy? But it would be good to beat him wouldn’t it, wipe that smug grin off of his attract- his face, yes his face.”

Albus frowned at his Dad, “Okay...uh, well should we bake then?”

“Yes, let’s bake,” Harry said with a nod.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“So I was thinking of chocolate and orange-”

“Chocolate and orange?” Draco asked loudly, “No Scorp, no. You’re thinking about this all wrong. We need an original idea, a delicious cupcake that will draw in the crowds! People don’t want boring old cupcakes, they want new flavours, new textures, new experiences!”

Scorpius rolled his eyes, “Dad, this isn’t one of your business meetings. It’s a school competition, I just need to sell some cupcakes.”

“Do you think the Potters will be making chocolate and orange cupcakes?” Draco asked, “Do you? No, they’ll be making trifle cupcakes or treacle tart cupcakes or some other heinous desert that Potter likes so much. We have to do better than that to match them!”

“Dad, I really don’t care about beating Al,” Scorpius said loudly, “And it doesn’t matter if Al wins because Slytherin will still get the 100 points!”

“But they will have been won by a Potter!” Draco exclaimed, “A Potter winning 100 points for Slytherin house, it’s unthinkable! We need a fantastic cupcake idea Scorpius, something new, something exciting, something like...oreo cupcakes!”

Scorpius looked vaguely amused, “Alright. Do you actually know how to make cupcakes?”

“Of course I do,” Draco scoffed, “I took a cupcake masterclass last week.”

Scorpius shook his head, “Dad, you are taking this whole competitive Father thing way too far.”

“Do you want to win this challenge or not?” Draco asked as he grabbed an apron, “We have cupcakes to make Scorp.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The day of the bake sale brought a further challenge. The placing of the stalls was alphabetical which meant that Albus’s stand was right next to Scorpius’s. Draco and Harry spent the entire day glaring at each other (or having eye sex, according to Ginny, but she was still being delusional about this entire thing), and competitively selling cupcakes. Draco would sell 2, so Harry would sweet talk someone into buying 4.

Both stands sold out by lunch time. They had won and therefore Scorpius and Albus drew and got 50 points each. Pansy shook her head in disbelief as she helped Draco clear up the stall while Scorpius and Albus whispered to each other a small distance away.

“You really think this is the best way to showcase your rivalry?” Pansy asked in amusement.

“Well it shows them, doesn’t it?” Draco asked smugly, “Potter and Malfoy, rivalry still going strong.”

“Draco, you two spent the last few days baking cupcakes with your sons and selling them competitively,” Pansy smirked, “Do you really think it showcases that you and Potter have a hardcore rivalry? From where I’m standing it just makes you both look like single Fathers desperate to spend as much time with each other as possible.”

Draco scoffed, “Why would I want to spend more time with Potter? I just want to beat him.”

“Of course you do,” Pansy said in a very patronising tone.

“I do!” Draco exclaimed.

“Uh-huh,” Pansy said, walking away from Draco and casting an amused look back at him, “Keep telling yourself that sweetheart. See you in a few weeks Scorp!”

“Bye Aunt Pansy,” Scorpius said with a smile and a wave.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

To add to their competitive fathers rivalry, Harry and Draco had never managed to get through a single Board of Governors meeting without arguing. Bill chaired the meetings and even he lost patience with them sometimes.

“The house unity rules are important Malfoy! We don’t want to go back to the kind of prejudices people like you had while we were in school!”

“I’m not suggesting that we do! I agree that the rules make sense, but why do the house unity tasks all have to be so muggle?”

“Because we’re trying to show wizarding children that muggles are not so different from us to avoid creating another Voldemort!”

“But it’s not fair on wizarding children and you are too blind to see that! We should be doing wizarding activities too, things muggle-borns might not have seen before. This should go both ways Potter.”

“You prejudiced git!”

“Coming from the man who thinks he can say and do whatever he wants because he’s the chosen one!”

Bill slammed his hand down on the table, “Shut up, both of you!” he snapped, “Sit, now!”

Draco and Harry returned to their seats, but they glared at each other for the entirety of the meeting after that.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Things only got worse. Harry gave a talk to Albus and Scorpius’s Defence against the Dark Arts class so Draco came in and did a Potions workshop with the class. Harry became the new chairman of the duelling club when it was reinstated so Draco joined as a chaperone. That was how they had ended up in this position, staring each other down on a very familiar podium in Hogwarts’ Great Hall.

“Scared, Potter?”

Harry’s lips quirked into a smirk, “You wish,” he said simply.

They both smirked one final time before turning and walking to their places. The duel began, and it was over within mere seconds. Harry knocked Draco down and disarmed him before he could get his 3rd spell out.

The students cheered and Harry grinned triumphantly. He walked to Draco and held out his hand, “Need a hand up, Malfoy?”

Draco rolled his eyes but accepted Harry’s hand. Once he was on his feet he stalked off of the podium and Harry began to set up little duels based on age, height and size. When all of the students were duelling away quite happily he found his arm being gripped by Astoria Greengrass, formerly Astoria Malfoy.

Astoria was the Arithmancy Professor, but she and Harry had maybe had two conversations in his entire life and both of those conversations had been about Astoria’s sister, Daphne, who was a fellow Auror. 

“Uh Astoria, what are you doing?” Harry asked.

“Putting an end to this stupid rivalry,” Astoria said matter of factly as she pushed Harry into the antechamber at the back of the Great Hall and locked the door.

Harry glanced over to Draco, “Uh...what was...that?”

“This is an intervention,” Hermione said from where she was standing against a glass unit with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Because you two are being ridiculous,” Pansy said matter of factly as she stood next to Hermione.

“We hate each other, what do you expect?” Harry huffed, “Why did our sons have to become best friends?”

“You idiots don’t hate each other,” Pansy said irritably, “Are you really both so blind? You’re pissed off that your sons are friends because you are seeing what you could have had if you had just shaken hands all those bloody years ago.”

“And this ‘rivalry’ is a piece of crap,” Hermione said bluntly, “All you are doing is making eyes at each other and competitively baking cupcakes with your children. Will you please just do us all a favour and go on a date or snog in a broom cupboard, whatever it takes to get this out of your system!”

“I don’t think Al and Scorpius can handle another 5 years like these last two,” Pansy said pointedly.

“Yes, think of your poor children here!” Hermione exclaimed.

At this Draco’s shoulders slumped, “Ugh alright. Potter, just go on a bloody date with me.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed, “Uh...why?”

“Because if we don’t these women that we call our best friends will never leave us alone,” Draco said logically, “And they’re right. Scorpius has been pulling away from me because I’ve been pushing him too hard to compete with Albus.”

Harry sighed, “Al has been doing the same with me.”

“So we’ll go on a date and get it out of our system,” Draco said simply, “Then we can go back to being responsible Fathers.”

“One date,” Harry agreed tentatively.

Draco nodded, “One date then we can forget that it ever happened.”

“Deal.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

5 YEARS LATER.

“I can’t believe my son is dating Rose Weasley!” Draco exclaimed as he threw the letter onto the table rather violently.

Harry turned around from the cooker, “Uh Draco, you have been dating Harry Potter for the past 5 years. Is it really so bad that your son is dating a Weasley?”

“Yes!” Draco said frantically, “Me dating a Potter is one thing, Harry! You are from a pure-blood family at the very least, the Weasley’s are blood traitors!”

“My Mum was a muggle-born,” Harry said with a raised eyebrow, “So by that logic the Potters are blood traitors too. You’re being a prat about this whole thing.”

“No, I’m not!”

“Yes, you are.”

“He’s dating the spawn of Ron Weasley and Hermione bloody Granger!”

“And? You have dinner with them once a month for the love of Godric!” Harry said, an amused smile making its way onto his face.

Draco groaned and sat down heavily, “So much for our one date rule.”

“Well I was pretty tempted to stick around after what you did to me in the bathroom of that bar,” Harry said with an amused grin, “And then low and behold I actually fell in love with you. That’s what happens Draco, people fall in love. They can’t control it, did you expect to fall in love with me?”

“Well unlike you I always knew I liked guys as well as girls,” Draco said with a vaguely amused look, “So yes, I fancied you for bloody years. It took you long enough to work out that you fancied me.”

Harry rolled his eyes, “Well ignoring my cluelessness, you get the point. Scorpius loves Rose, and Rose loves him. She’s a lovely girl, she’s a Ravenclaw, she’s smart, she’s funny, she’s beautiful.”

“She’s a Weasley,” Draco despaired, “What has become of my life? I’m dating a Potter and my son is going to marry a blood traitorous Weasley. My Father will be rolling in his grave, my Mother would be so disappointed.”

“We have dinner with your Mother once a week, stop being a drama queen.”

“I am not a drama queen! It’s the end Harry, I can feel it. It’s all over, my life is over, finished!”

“This is you not being a drama queen?” Harry muttered as he shook his head. He grabbed a quill and began to write on the back of the letter that Draco had so violently discarded.

“What are you doing?” Draco asked, narrowing his eyes at the dark haired man.

“I am telling Scorpius that we’re very happy for him,” Harry said as he scrawled onto the parchment, “And that his Father is far too excited to hold a quill steady to write him a response. I’m also telling him to invite Rose over to the house during the Easter holidays when he and Al come home.”

Draco groaned and let his head fall into his hands, “I hate you.”

“Yeah, I love you too,” Harry said with an amused smile as he sent the letter back with Scorpius’s owl.


	24. Love is an Open Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is an Albius one in which Frozen fever grips the wizarding world!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this prompt from ‘cutiepieprompts’ on tumblr;
> 
> “Prompt #58: Imagine Muse A and Muse B singing Love Is An Open Door with each other.”

“Frozen,” Harry sighed.

“I want to kill the bugger that came up with that idea,” Draco grumbled.

“You’re not alone,” Ron complained, “It’s all anyone is talking about in the muggle and wizarding world.”

“I don’t get it,” Neville said with a shake of his head, “It’s a story about two sisters with a jaunty, musical soundtrack.”

“People empathise with the characters,” Hannah said matter of factly, “They feel sorry for Elsa, they root for her. There are a lot of children who feel like they don’t fit in.”

“I didn’t feel like I fitted in as a child,” Harry pointed out, “But that didn’t make me dress up a Disney princess and ask for dolls and blankets and what next, toilet roll? With said princess’s face on it!”

Draco snorted, “Now that would be a sight Potter, you dressed up as a Disney princess.”

Ginny bit her lip to stop herself from laughing at her Husband’s expense as Harry glared at his former arch-enemy. They were all having dinner together to catch up because Harry, Ron, Neville and Draco had gone through Auror training together many moons ago. However Neville was a professor at Hogwarts these days, and Ron was helping George run the joke shop. Harry and Draco were Auror partners who were best friends on a good day, and worst enemies on a bad day.

“I have to admit, I do quite like the movie,” Ginny said with an amused smile, “It’s a nice story.”

“And the music is good,” Hermione agreed.

Ron and Harry shared an exasperated look.

Astoria smiled slightly, “I blame you for getting Scorpius into it. We don’t generally take him to the cinema, and we don’t have a television in our house but ever since he saw it here he has been hooked.”

Draco glared at Harry, “See, you are corrupting my son with muggle ideals and bloody stupid princess movies.”

Harry snorted, “Look you can’t have it much worse than me. James is thankfully a bit old for all of this, but Al is 7 and Lily is 5. They are both obsessed with the damn thing, it’s all that’s on the television at the moment. Lily’s asked for an Anna costume, an Elsa doll and an Olaf toy for Christmas.”

“Al was a bit more conservative,” Ginny said in amusement, “He just wants a CD player and the sing-along soundtrack.”

“Oh Merlin,” Ron groaned, “If you’re getting him that I’m no longer coming over here on Boxing Day.”

Hermione shot Ron a look, “You will be coming over. We spend Boxing Day together every year, that’s not changing just because you don’t like this new movie that the kids like. However I do agree that it’s taken hold a bit too much. Rose asked for an Elsa costume and the power to control snow, I definitely can’t give her the latter. Hugo just wants an Olaf cuddly toy, but he has never been the demanding one.”

“Oh yes,” Neville said with a fond smile, “Rose is the demanding one, like her Mother. Hugo just goes with the flow, like his Father.”

Hermione rolled her eyes at this comment and Ron grinned, “What about you Nev? Are Frank and Ali gripped by ‘frozen mania’ yet?”

Hannah laughed, “Of course they are. Frank, not so much, he’s far more into his Quidditch but I did catch him singing ‘Let it Go’ in the bath yesterday.”

Neville snorted in amusement, “And Alice is a 5 year old girl, she’s crazy about it. She wants a frozen themed bedroom for Christmas this year. Hannah said she could have it, without telling me.”

Hannah grinned, “I said I’d help with the decorating!”

Draco laughed at them, “Well you think you all have it bad? I have a spoiled pure-blood son, do you know what he asked us for this Christmas?”

“Go on,” Harry said in amusement, “Tell us.”

“He asked for a pet reindeer,” Draco said with a raised eyebrow.

“But the question is, did you say yes?” Hermione asked the former Slytherin.

Astoria laughed melodically, “Of course he did! He can’t say no to Scorpius, and now we’re trying desperately to find somewhere to buy a reindeer!”

Harry shook his head in disbelief and Ron roared with laughter, “Only you, Malfoy.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Boxing Day was full of frozen fever. The children had all received frozen related gifts, and Scorpius had even gotten a reindeer. Harry and Ginny had looked at each other and shaken their heads in disbelief when Scorpius had told them that one. 

They had all eaten their Boxing Day meal together, and then the kids had gone into the playroom. The adults had been talking in the living room while drinking mulled wine when something made them all frown. They ceased their conversation to listen to the strange sound coming from within the playroom. It sounded like music, turned up very loudly, and then the singing began.

“All my life has been a series of doors in my face, and then suddenly I bump into you!”

“Is that Al?” Harry asked in disbelief.

Ginny nodded in amusement as the singing got louder.

“I was thinking the same thing! Cause like I’ve been searching my whole life to find my own place. And maybe it’s the party talkin’ or the chocolate fondue...”

“And that is Scorpius,” Astoria said, an amused smile playing on her lips.

The playroom door burst open and Lily rushed out with pink cheeks and a huge smile on her face. Her red hair was all over the place and she looked just like Anna in the costume she had gotten for Christmas, “Mummy! Daddy! Al and Scorpy are singing, come see!”

Ginny laughed and grabbed Harry’s hand as she got to her feet. They walked into the playroom, followed by Draco and Astoria. The room was fairly small so Ron and Hermione simply watched from the doorway.

Standing in the middle of the room were Albus and Scorpius. Harry and Ginny had gotten Al the CD that he wanted but instead of a CD player they had bought him a karaoke machine. The 7 year old and his best friend were both holding microphones and singing their hearts out to the song.

“I see your face!” Albus said as he made a face at Scorpius.

“And it’s nothing like I’ve ever known before!” The two boys sang together while Lily and Hugo clapped eagerly. James was watching his younger brother in disbelief and Rose was watching her two friends with a big grin as she giggled at their antics.

“Love is an open door!” They sang as they reached the chorus.

“Join in Lil,” Albus said to his sister.

Lily jumped up and down eagerly and joined in with the singing, “Love is an open door!”

“You too Hugo,” Scorpius said with a smile at the youngest Weasley boy.

“Love is an open door!”

Albus grinned at Scorpius, “With you!”

“With you!” Scorpius sang.

“With you!” Albus belted out.

“With you! Love is an open door!”

Harry chanced an amused glance over at Draco who looked like he was contemplating suicide. It made him grin broadly. He turned back to the two boys who were clearly having a blast.

“I mean it’s crazy,” Scorpius sang.

“What?” Albus asked dramatically.

“We finish each other’s-”

“Sandwiches!” Albus said, causing Lily and Hugo to giggle madly.

“That’s what I was going to say!” Scorpius sang.

Albus was trying not to laugh now, “I’ve never met someone who thinks so much like me!”

“Jinx!” Both boys shouted as they pointed at each other.

“Jinx again!” They both said, and James rolled his eyes at them. At 10 years old he was clearly too old and too cool for frozen fever.

“Our mental synchronisation can have but one explanation,” Both boys sang.

“You,” Scorpius sang as he pointed at Albus.

“And I,” Albus sang.

“Were just meant to beeeeeeeeeeee,” Both boys sang, making the last note last too long. 

Lily fell off of the sofa from laughing too hard and Albus shot his little sister a grin. 

“Say goodbye to the pain of the past, we don’t have to feel it anymore, love is an open door!” They sang.

Scorpius grinned at Rose, “Sing it with us Rosie!”

Rose jumped to her feet and shared Scorpius’s microphone, “Love is an open door!” They all sang together as the song ended.

The parents all gave a loud round of applause from the doorway with the exception of Draco who looked horrified. Ginny smiled broadly at them, “I think you all deserve extra portions of trifle after all of that hard work! Come on!”

She led the kids into the kitchen like the pied piper and Ron guffawed as he looked between Harry and Draco, “Oh good luck, with those two being friends, hah! Good bloody luck,” he said, practically cackling as he followed his sister into the kitchen to get seconds.

Hermione bit her lip in amusement, “If Scorpius doesn’t fall in love with my daughter, he’s going to fall in love with his best friend,” she agreed, “So it’s a really good thing you two are friends these days.”

Draco rolled his eyes as Hermione left the room, “What have you done to my son?”

“Corrupted him with muggle ideas about princesses and musicals, clearly,” Harry grinned, “Do you reckon they’re right, about Scorp and Al?”

“Merlin I hope not,” Draco muttered, “I quite like you these days Potter, but I don’t want you and Weaslette as my in-laws.”

Harry barked out a laugh, “Well remember to keep an open mind Malfoy!” he said cheerfully, “After all, love is an open door!” he sang the last part, very badly.

Draco groaned at the terrible pun, “What the hell have I let myself in for?” he muttered to himself.

“A lot of grey hairs!” Harry teased. He smirked at the blonde man one last time before leaving him standing alone in the living room.

THE END :)


	25. Teachers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Drarry one (you may notice a recurring theme here...)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this tumblr post/prompt by ‘alligotleftismybones’;
> 
> “I used to be the cool teacher until you arrived and I want to hate you for taking that away but I really want to just be like you.”

Harry had taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for 5 years and he had never seen so many girls swoon in one day. There had been a couple of occasions when they had gotten close, like the time that an immaculate, elegant prince from Beauxbatons showed up on an exchange program. There had also been his first day as a professor which frankly Harry had found incredibly embarrassing. His youngest son, Albus had been in 1st year and his eldest son James in 3rd year. They had been just as mortified by all of the girls who had been crushing on their Dad.

However that was 5 years ago, and this was now. James had graduated from Hogwarts last year, and Albus was now in his 5th year. His youngest child and only daughter Lily was in 3rd year, and things had died down quite a bit. He still held the title of the coolest teacher in school though. People loved his practical Defence against the Dark Arts lessons and his relaxed but also effective approach to final exams and assignments. He was Head of Gryffindor house too, which he took quite a lot of pride in.

But Harry was starting to wonder if his title was going to be challenged because a new teacher had rocked up and he had the girls in quite a stir. From the moment Draco Malfoy had swaggered (that was really the only word for it) into the great hall, the girls had been fainting left, right and centre.

To make matters worse Scorpius, Draco’s only son, looked horrified. Harry hid his amused smile as the blonde boy let his head drop into his hands. He knew Scorpius fairly well because he and Albus were best friends. The girls at the Slytherin table stared as Draco walked towards the head table, his cloak swishing behind him and Albus patted Scorpius on the back sympathetically whilst hiding a wicked grin.

Harry caught his son’s eye and winked. Albus grinned at his father behind Scorpius’s back. He knew what Al was thinking, payback. Scorpius had teased him something rotten when all of the girls had fancied his Dad after all.

“Malfoy,” Harry said politely as Draco took his seat next to him.

“Potter,” Draco said just as politely.

They could get on now, for the sake of their children. Albus stayed at Malfoy Manor for entire Easter breaks sometimes and Scorpius had spent last Christmas at Potter House after throwing a tantrum and refusing to go to the Alps with his parents. They had gotten divorced earlier in the year and saw no point in cancelling their holiday, Scorpius did not want to listen to them arguing for the entire Christmas break however.

“You have caused quite a stir,” Harry said with a slight smirk.

Draco glanced over the hall where several female students were still recovering, “I might take your title yet.”

“What title would that be?” Harry asked smoothly.

“Scorpius tells me you are the coolest teacher here,” Draco said, his eyes flashing, “I think I’ll try to challenge that.”

“Well you are welcome to try, Malfoy,” Harry said, an air of smugness about him, “But I am the chosen one.”

Draco rolled his eyes as Harry got to his feet and left the hall. He had a classroom to prepare after all.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Isn’t Professor Malfoy just the coolest?”

Harry’s eyes narrowed as his ears picked up this conversation taking place in the corridor outside of his classroom. They were only two weeks into the term but already the entire school seemed to have been woo-ed by the charms of Draco Malfoy. Harry couldn’t blame them, he was getting pretty woo-ed by those charms too after all.

“He’s so dreamy!”

“And funny!”

“And his classes are super interesting! I’ve never loved Potions more!”

Harry rolled his eyes, his classes were interesting but not that interesting! Harry did an underwater class for his 3rd years! What could Draco Malfoy possibly do that was cooler than that?

“Didn’t you think his logical puzzle about potions was so much fun?”

That wasn’t even his idea! Harry thought to himself, he stole that from Hermione!

Suddenly the conversation outside came to a stop and giggling commenced. Harry wondered what the interruption was briefly, but he did not have to wonder for long. The door opened and Draco Malfoy strutted in, Merlin he was majestic.

“Malfoy,” Harry said evenly, “What can I do for you?”

“Have the rumours reached you yet?” Draco asked smoothly, “Do you tune in to the gossip?”

“I try to stay out of it,” Harry said honestly, “I don’t really care about who is kissing who and who has been caught in broom cupboards with who. But I have heard that the students seem to like you. In fact the exact words that I heard were dreamy and funny. Not words that I would attribute to you, Malfoy.”

Malfoy raised an eyebrow at him, “Well the students seem to think of you as ruggedly handsome. Frankly I think clueless and haphazard would be far better words.”

Harry rolled his eyes, “Have you come here to taunt me? Because I do actually have some marking to do. Unlike you I don’t just give my students fun logic puzzles that I have stolen from my enemy’s best friend.”

Draco looked vaguely amused, “Oh please, Granger and I do talk. In fact we could almost pass as acquaintances. I like some of your friends Potter, even if I can’t abide you.”

Harry narrowed his eyes at him, “You stole my title.”

“What title would that be?” Draco asked with a smirk, “Coolest teacher in school?”

“No, the students seem to think that we are equal on that,” Harry said honestly, “You do seem to best me in the hottest teacher ranks however and if I’m being entirely honest, I can’t blame them for that.”

“You think I’m attractive, Potter?” Draco asked, his lips quirking into an amused smile.

“You said it yourself, I’m haphazard,” Harry chuckled, “So of course you are more attractive than me.”

Draco leant in the doorway and was silent for a moment as he surveyed Harry, “I suppose I can see the appeal of ruggedly handsome. Prim and proper isn’t everything after all.”

Harry raised an eyebrow, “You think I’m attractive, Malfoy?” he asked, echoing the blonde man’s earlier words.

Draco smirked properly at this, “I don’t suppose you fancy using the first Hogsmeade weekend of term as an excuse to disappear for a few hours? There’s a very nice pub off the beaten track, I’m sure you know the owner.”

Harry laughed, “You’re seriously asking me on a date to Seamus’s tavern?”

“Well when you know the owner the drinks are free,” Draco said with a slight smile, “And I find dates are far more enjoyable with free alcohol.”

“Alright,” Harry said, without really thinking about it, “It’s a date.”

THE END :)


	26. The Bells Were Ringing out for Christmas Eve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yet another Drarry one!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this tumblr post by ‘ferretandscarhead’;
> 
> “So I have this headcanon that when Harry and Draco decide to tell Hermione and Ron about them being together, Harry is about to knock at the door and Draco looks at him and whispers “scared, Potter?” And Harry just grabs his hand and knocks saying “you wish.”.”

“Stop freaking out.”

“I’m not freaking out,” Draco mumbled.

Harry shot his boyfriend a grin, “Draco, just enjoy the moment. It’s Christmas Eve and we’re in London, it’s magical.”

“It’s a damn sight better than last Christmas,” Draco agreed as he and Harry walked through Trafalgar square hand in hand.

“Tell me about it,” Harry chuckled as they looked up at the huge, beautifully decorated Christmas tree, “I spent last Christmas half dead in a tent. I didn’t even know it was Christmas Eve until we got to Godric’s Hollow and heard the bells ringing.”

Draco gave Harry’s hand a small squeeze, “At least this New Year we can welcome in something good.”

Harry smiled at Draco, “I’m pretty sure I already found something good.”

Draco chuckled quietly, “You had better not be this cheesy when we get to Granger and Weasley’s flat.”

“I’ll try not to be,” Harry said honestly, “But you had better get into the habit of calling them Ron and Hermione.”

“I still call you Potter sometimes,” Draco pointed out, “Old habits die hard after all.”

“They’ll be okay with this you know,” Harry said, seeing Draco’s sarcasm for what it was. He was trying to defend himself from pain, he was trying to pretend that he wasn’t nervous, “You and me.”

“You really think Weasley is going to be okay with this?” Draco asked in disbelief.

Harry sighed as they waited in a large crowd to try and cross over the road, “In time, yeah. Hermione has always been far more accepting and open minded. She won’t mind that I’m dating a guy, she might mind that you were a dick when we were in Hogwarts but she won’t care about much else. Ron...he finds it a bit harder to accept things he’s not used to.”

“Like gays?” Draco asked bluntly.

Harry rolled his eyes, “Not exactly, have you met his brother Charlie? The whole family knows he’s gay, they just don’t talk about it. I think he might find it hard to accept that I’m dating a guy, and I think he’ll find it especially hard to understand why I’m dating you.”

“Well I wouldn’t blame him,” Draco said honestly, his hand a little sweaty in Harry’s, “Because I don’t know why you’re dating me. I find it easy to see why people won’t accept this Harry, it’s because I don’t deserve you.”

Harry looked irritated as he dragged Draco across the road and they slipped into an alleyway. It was a shortcut that Harry often used when he was visiting Ron and Hermione. They could have apparated easily, but Draco and Harry both loved Christmas and they both loved London at Christmastime. As much as anything else it gave them both a little time to get their nerves in check. It was stupid really, they were both nervous but they would never admit that to each other. 

“I know you don’t see it,” Harry said, “But I don’t think I’m any better than you. I know that you are really sorry for everything that you’ve done and I’ve seen you repent for your mistakes. Draco, they might not see that, but I do. I’m the one who sits up with you when you wake up twice every night screaming from the nightmares. I know that you’re suffered just as much as I have.”

Draco shook his head, “Don’t be stupid, you suffered so much more. The last few years were hell for me, but Harry...your entire life was like that. You have always lived in fear, whether that was of the Dursley’s or Snape or Voldemort. I spent a couple of years as a junior Death Eater being used as a punch-bag for pissed Death-Eaters, you can’t compare us.”

“Pain is pain,” Harry said.

Draco rolled his eyes, “Don’t start the cryptic Dumbledore shit again, please.”

Harry smiled slightly at Draco, tightening his grip on his hand, “It’s the way I feel and in time Ron and Hermione will understand too,” he promised.

Draco sighed, he didn’t believe that but he knew that Harry couldn’t lie to his two best friends anymore. It had already been 2 months and it was killing Harry, he hated to lie at the best of the times. Lying to the two people who had stuck with him through thick and thin was just too much and Draco knew it wasn’t fair to ask him to do that.

Harry dropped Draco’s hand and said, “Come on,” as he walked up the stairs to the back door of a tiny flat fairly close to the centre of London. There was a light on in the kitchen and they could hear a Christmas carol blaring out on the radio. Draco took a deep, slightly shaky breath and looked at Harry. If it wasn’t for the fact he was so nervous he would have laughed at the fact that Harry had just done the same thing. 

Draco couldn’t help himself. Seeing Harry look so unsure of himself was a rare thing these days. His confidence had rocketed since the war, since he had been accepted into Auror training. Draco leant a little closer to him and whispered, “Scared, Potter?”

Harry laughed weakly, despite how nervous he was. He grinned at his boyfriend and grabbed his hand once more.

“You wish,” Harry said quietly as he lifted his hand and knocked loudly on the door.

The sound of footsteps in the flat made their hearts pound faster. Someone fumbled with the lock and the door was finally pulled open. Ron and Hermione were both standing in the doorway and they did not seem to be surprised in the slightest when they saw that Draco was the mysterious date that Harry had told them about last week.

Their eyes went to Harry and Draco’s linked hands, and Ron and Hermione then grinned at each other.

“About time!” Ron exclaimed, an amused look on his face.

Harry and Draco looked at each other, they had expected many outcomes but certainly not this one.

Hermione beamed, “We wondered when you were going to tell us! Come in, come in, oh and Merry Christmas!”

Harry stepped into the house, feeling completely bemused. Draco stepped in after him and could have fainted from shock when Hermione kissed him on the cheek and asked him what he wanted to drink.

Ron snorted at the look on Draco’s face and led them into the living room. When they had managed to seat themselves together on the sofa, the redheaded man smiled and said, “You didn’t really think we’d go mental, did you? I’m not going to praise your taste, Harry, but life’s too short to fall out about anything these days. Don’t you think?”

Harry grinned proudly at his best friend and nodded, “Yeah, Merry Christmas Ron.”

Ron smiled right back at him, “Merry Christmas,” he said cheerfully, “Right Malfoy, do you play Monopoly? It’s a family tradition.”

Draco shook his head, completely stunned. But as Hermione handed him a firewhiskey and Ron began to explain the rules of Christmas Eve Monopoly, a smile began to form on his face. He had finally found somewhere he belonged.

THE END :)


	27. An Unexpected First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is Neville/Hannah. It's actually a canon fic concerning Neville, shock horror! Hope you enjoy it! :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this tumblr post by ‘likehemmins’;
> 
> “Imagine that you’ve been stood up by your douche of a boyfriend on date night and the waitress keeps asking if you’re ready to order but you keep asking for more time hoping that he’s just late. People are starting to look at you with those apologetic looks like they know and you start to feel worse and worse about the whole situation but as you decide to just get up and leave, this boy sits down explaining loudly “Sorry I’m so late, babe, traffic is crazy right now” and he quietly adds, “I’m (insert name) just go with it, yeah? Whoever didn’t bother to show up is a dick” and so you do go with it because he’s being sweet and trying to save you (and plus he’s the cutest thing you’ve ever seen) and as you’re leaving the restaurant after the best non-planned date ever, he asks you out for real this time.”

Hannah Abbott was a patient person. She was a Hufflepuff, she believed in people. She had faith in humanity. However, her patience was being tested to its limit today. It was Valentine’s Day and she was sitting in a cafe in Diagon Alley feeling incredibly stupid. Her boyfriend had been due to meet her here at 2pm. She had been early, as always, and had been seated by the waitress on duty. All around her there were pink petals and cherubs blowing kisses. There were couples everywhere and here she was, sitting alone.

Her blue eyes reluctantly flicked to the clock for the umpteenth time. 2.30pm.

“Are you ready to order yet ma’am?” A waitress in roller skates and a neon pink dress asked with a false smile.

Hannah felt stupid. She felt the blush rise in her cheeks. She knew the words sounded pathetic as she heard them leave her mouth, “No, he’ll just be late.”

The waitress gave her a small nod and an apologetic look before walking away. Hannah frowned angrily down at the table, she could see the loved up couples all around her giving her those same looks. They felt sorry for her, and that just made this all the worse. She was angry, and she felt entirely humiliated. Who stood their girlfriend up on Valentines Day? Of all the days!

Hannah was about to stand up and leave, she did not want to humiliate herself any further. However, just as she was about to grab her coat, someone sat down opposite her.

Hannah’s eyes widened when she realised that the person sitting across from her was not her boyfriend. No, he was Neville Longbottom, the Gryffindor she had secretly been crushing on since she was 15 years old.

He gave her an easy smile in a way that only Neville could, “Hey Hannah,” he said loudly, “I’m so sorry that I’m late. I got caught up at work, some arsehole decided to commit a crime. I mean who does that on Valentine’s Day? I came as soon as I could get another Auror to deal with the paperwork.”

Hannah frowned slightly, “What are you doing?” She whispered.

Neville’s smile widened as he took off his coat, “Just roll with it. Whoever didn’t show up is a bloody dick.” 

Hannah smiled slightly, “Thank you.”

Neville just smiled brightly, “You are welcome. So, what are we having?”

Hannah’s stomach was doing flips and she felt a little guilty because she was in a relationship. Yet here she was, on a date with another man. But at the same time her boyfriend could easily have broken up with her and not bothered to tell her. It was exactly the kind of thing that Zacharias would do.

“Uh, I was thinking of the pancakes and a coffee,” Hannah said honestly.

Neville scanned the menu, “You have good taste, I think I’ll have the same.”

Hannah smiled a little nervously as the waitress came over and took their orders. When she had left their table Neville leant forward and took her hand like it was the easiest thing in the world, “Are you okay?”

Hannah nodded and met Neville’s concerned eyes, “Did Zacharias send you?”

Neville scoffed, “I know he’s a lawyer and I’m an Auror, but I make a habit not to work with him, ever. No offence.”

“None taken,” Hannah said honestly, “He’s the one who stood me up. He really didn’t send you?”

Neville shook his head, “I came in to get a cup of coffee, forgetting that it was Valentine’s Day. It’s sort of hard to remember when you’re single. I saw you and...well I wasn’t going to leave you alone on Valentine’s Day. You’re far too lovely for that.”

Hannah’s smile widened, “Lovely? You hardly know me, Neville.”

“I know you enough to know that you’re lovely,” Neville said honestly, “All you were ever concerned about during the war was the younger students. You didn’t think once about yourself and I admired you a lot Hannah. I’m sorry that I never told you that.”

Hannah shook her head, “You shouldn’t admire me. You were the strong one, you were the leader.”

Neville shook his head as their coffee arrived. He smiled at the waitress “Thanks Layla.”

The waitress, Layla, smiled at him, “No worries Neville. I’m glad you’ve finally found yourself a girlfriend. Don’t be so late next time.”

Neville just laughed as the waitress walked away. He looked back to Hannah who was watching him with interest, “Sorry, I come into this coffee shop about three times a day. I’m the mug who does the coffee runs for myself, Harry and Ron. Speaking of those two, they were the leaders not me.”

Hannah smiled slightly, “Well all the same, I think you were very brave.”

Neville smiled widely at her, “That means a lot, you know. I never really felt like I fitted in as a Gryffindor. I always thought Hufflepuff would have suited me a lot more.”

“Maybe it would have done,” Hannah said thoughtfully, “You have the right characteristics.”

“Not to mention my love of all things Herbology,” Neville chuckled, “I saw the Hufflepuff common room once, it’s amazing.”

“It’s pretty neat,” Hannah agreed with a laugh, “Why did you decide to become an Auror? I always thought you would travel the world or become a Herbologist.”

Neville frowned slightly, “Well I wanted to make a difference. I know that sounds stupid, but I wanted to help finish what I started. So I guess I joined the Aurors to catch all the strays that got away after the war. I’m not intending to do it for my whole life. The three years of training were really tough, and these last two years have been great but in the long-run I want to teach.”

“Herbology?” Hannah asked with a knowing smile.

Neville laughed, “Exactly. Pomona has already told me she has the job on hold for me. She’s just not quite ready to retire yet. How about you, what have you been doing?”

“Nothing exciting,” Hannah said honestly, “Not like you and the others anyway. I’m just a waitress in the Leaky Cauldron.”

“Hey there’s no such thing as ‘just’ anything,” Neville smiled, “I bet working in the leaky is great fun.”

Hannah was surprised that he hadn’t belittled her job. But then she remembered that he was Neville Longbottom, he didn’t belittle anyone. He had spent far too long being belittled himself, “It is! We get all sorts of customers and I love the regulars, they are so sweet. Just last week I had a dragon tamer all the way from Zimbabwe, he was so exotic. I sat down and talked to him for hours after my shift finished.”

Neville smiled fondly at her, “That sounds far more fun than my job. It is fun, and it gets the adrenaline going like nothing else. But sometimes it’s really tough, the cases can hit home so hard.”

“I imagine it’s hard to have a personal life too,” Hannah said sympathetically, “To balance it all?”

Neville nodded, “Yeah, I mean I’ve had a girlfriend or two but they don’t stay. I work weekends, I work late nights. I get a firecall and I just have to go, it’s hard.”

“Surely they understood that it’s important though, your work I mean?” Hannah asked thoughtfully.

Neville shook his head, “No, that’s the problem, finding someone who does understand. Harry and Ron both balance it all out so well, I mean they’re married and everything.”

Hannah laughed, “But was anyone really surprised when Ron married Hermione or when Harry married Ginny? It was inevitable!”

Neville chuckled in agreement, “I suppose so. They both handle the pressure of their husband’s jobs really well though.”

“Well I’m sure you’ll find someone who will too,” Hannah said with a smile, a slightly sly one.

Their conversation was cut short because their food arrived. They tucked in and Neville praised Hannah on her taste in food. They made small talk throughout their lunch and Hannah hardly stopped laughing for the whole ‘date’. She was having a wonderful time and not thinking about Zacharias at all. When the date came to its end Neville reached into his pocket.

“Oh don’t be silly,” Hannah said quietly.

Neville just shook his head at her and gave her a charming smile. He paid the waitress and when she left he looked over at the blonde girl, “What?”

“You shouldn’t have done that!” Hannah said in an undertone, “You rescued me from humiliation. The least I could have done was pay for your lunch.”

“Well this was a date,” Neville said with a knowing smile, “And I make a habit to pay for my dates.”

Hannah’s cheeks flushed as Neville got to his feet and pulled his jacket on. He helped Hannah into her own jacket and linked his arm through hers as they left the café. He gave the waitress a wave and a smile before stepping out into the rain.

Neville threw up a rain repelling charm and glanced sideways at Hannah, “Did you have a good time?”

“I had a great time,” Hannah admitted.

“What do you say to a real date then?” Neville asked, a little cautiously.

Hannah bit her lip, “Neville...I’m dating Zacharias.”

Neville gave her a knowing look, “How much longer is that going to last after today?”

Hannah hesitated for a moment, and Neville (bless him) let her think it through. Eventually she gave him a slow nod, “Alright.”

“Alright?” Neville asked with an amused smile.

Hannah nodded more firmly this time, “Yes, I would love to go on a proper date with you. I’ll owl you once I’ve spoken to Zacharias...”

Neville raised an eyebrow, “Ah, good luck with that. He can be a bit...”

“Pretentious, full of himself, idiotic?” Hannah filled in.

Neville chuckled as they reached the point where they had to part ways, “All of the above apply. Thanks Hannah, for the best impromptu date ever.”

Hannah laughed, “No, thank you,” she said, kissing him on the cheek, “I’ll owl you.”

“I’m counting on it,” Neville said with a smile, “Here, you can keep my rain repelling charm. I’ll make a dash for the Ministry door.”

Hannah smiled broadly, “Such a gentleman.”

“They do exist, you have just been dating idiots,” Neville said, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he ducked out of the charm and dashed out of sight.

Hannah stood in the rain for a moment, the rain repelling charm keeping her warm and dry. She smiled broadly to herself and headed back towards her work with a spring in her step.

THE END :)


	28. This One is For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Albius oneshot but this one is quite a decent length. 
> 
> Albus Potter works for the Hogwarts radio, and Scorpius Malfoy is really sick of having passive aggressive love songs dedicated to him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based on a tumblr prompt from ‘au-gallery’. This one here;
> 
> “You work for the campus radio station and keep passively aggressively dedicating songs to me.”
> 
> (I know this would be set in like 2020 or something, but just pretend it’s set in modern day and the boys are in 17th year, for the sake of the songs that are playing!)

Scorpius Malfoy rolled his eyes and turned the radio in the corner of his room off with a wave of his hand.

“Oi!” His Welsh roommate, Rhys Jones, objected, “I was listening to that!”

Scorpius groaned, “Ugh Rhys, it’s shit! Listen to something decent will you? Listen to something other than Potter whining on!”

“I like the Hogwarts channel,” Rhys said as he turned the radio back on with a flick of his hand, “And Al Potter is pretty good, for a Slytherin.”

“He only ever plays muggle songs,” Scorpius whined, “And I’m trying to study Rhys!”

“Go to the library then!” Rhys said as he lay back on his bed and turned the radio up, just to spite Scorpius.

Scorpius sighed, resigned to his fate as the song finished and Albus Potter’s voice filled the dorm room, “This next one is for someone I’ve liked for a really long time. It’s tough when you feel that way and you can’t actually get the words out, right? So this one is for all of us who aren’t Gryffindors who can just say whatever the hell we’re thinking whenever we want. Here it is!”

Scorpius rolled his eyes as some muggle punky song began to play. He frowned and listened to the lyrics.

“I'm tugging at my hair,  
I'm pulling at my clothes,  
I'm trying to keep my cool,  
I know it shows,  
I'm staring at my feet,  
My cheeks are turning red,  
I'm searching for the words inside my head,  
I'm feeling nervous,  
Tryin to be so perfect,  
Cause I know you’re worth it,  
You’re worth it, yeah.”

Rhys hummed along, “He’s pretty hung up on someone, isn’t he?”

“I don’t know,” Scorpius muttered, “Why would I know?”

“If I could say what I wanna say,  
I'd say I wanna blow you, away,  
Be with you every night,  
Am I squeezing you too tight?”

“Well you’re friends with him, aren’t you?” Rhys said, sucking on the end of his sugar quill and jotting a note down in his notebook, “He’s your Herbology partner.”

“So?” Scorpius scoffed, “I’m not friends with him, he’s a Potter for Heaven’s sake. I don’t care who he’s crushing on.”

“If I could say what I wanna see,  
I wanna see you go down, with me,  
Marry me today,  
Guess I'm wishing my life away,  
With these things I'll never say.”

“Well he is clearly crushing on someone, Scorp,” Rhys said with a snort, “And he’s bloody cheesy about it too.”

“Of course he is,” Scorpius muttered, “He’s a Potter.”

“And that was “Thing’s I’ll Never Say” by the talented Avril Lavigne. It’s an oldie but it’s a goody!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Do we really have to listen to this Penny?” Scorpius groaned.

Penelope Nott crossed her arms, “What is your problem with the Hogwarts radio station, Scorpy?”

“Potter is his problem,” Philip, Penelope’s twin brother, grinned, “He can’t stand Potter.”

“I can’t stand Potter whining on about love and playing stupid cheesy songs,” Scorpius corrected, “Can you put something else on? Anything else?”

“Nope,” Penelope said as she guarded the radio in the common room, “I like Al’s show. He really gets in touch with his feminine side.”

Rhys roared, “Probably means he’s as straight as a roundabout.”

There was silence as his three friends frowned at him. From the corner of the room Rose Weasley tutted loudly and muttered, “Wizards.”

Rhys grinned, “Exactly Rosie! You got it, right?”

Rose raised an eyebrow at him, “Yes Rhys, I got your very rude and homophobic joke about my cousin.”

Rhys paled as Penelope and Philip sniggered, “Sorry Rose,” he mumbled.

Scorpius just shook his head in amusement and tried to get on with his Charms homework, but he couldn’t drone out the voice of Albus bloody Potter.

“This one goes out to someone who I really care about, but who doesn’t seem willing to give things a try with me. That can be really frustrating, because you don’t know if something is going to work unless you give it a try. Here’s the thought provoking “We’ll Never Know” by Lifehouse.”

Scorpius rolled his eyes, another Muggle song about love or whatever. He was growing more anxious by the day because he was fairly certain he knew who all of these songs were about. He was fairly certain they were about him. He and Albus had never been best friends, but they got along well enough. Scorpius always shot down his attempts for them to get closer and he told himself it was because he was a Potter. But there was more to it than that, and lately he had noticed Albus giving him longing looks that he had accidentally been returning.

“Yeah, we're not gonna live forever,  
Can you tell me is it now or never?  
I'm not gonna make up your mind.”

If that wasn’t a direct fucking message Scorpius didn’t know what was. He wanted to slam his head into the desk with frustration and embarrassment. He sincerely hoped that he was the only one who had noticed what Albus was doing.

“I don't wanna live without you,  
And I don't wanna live a lie,  
We'll never know till we try,  
Yeah, we'll never know till we try.”

Scorpius had to bite his tongue so that he didn’t shout out, ‘Yeah, I get the fucking point Al!’

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“For the love of Merlin!” Scorpius exclaimed, “Does that damn station have to be on everywhere in this bloody school?”

Frank Longbottom gave Scorpius an amused look, “By everywhere you mean in the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor common rooms?”

Scorpius groaned and fell back into a soft armchair, “Yes!”

“Well Scorp, I hate to break it to you,” Frank snorted, “But you are the only person in this whole school who doesn’t like it. Aren’t you friends with Al?”

“Why does everyone think he’s my friend?” Scorpius asked irritably, “He’s my partner in one fucking class!”

“He’s not that bad!” Frank objected, “I love his radio show.”

“It’s corny as hell, Frank!” Scorpius bit angrily.

“For that, I’m gonna turn it up,” Frank said with a smug grin. He turned the radio up with a flick of his wand.

Scorpius shut his eyes tightly and tried to drone out the voice, but as usual he bloody well couldn’t. 

“This one has some particular significance for me. You know what it can be like when you really like someone but you are just so different? For me it’s liking someone who is in a different house from me. I’m the son of Harry Potter, but I’m still a Slytherin so naturally that makes me a bastard, right? But no, you guys know that I’m a nice guy. I just wish this person could see that.”

Scorpius actually shook his head in disbelief, could he get anymore fucking obvious?

“Oh the deer and the wolf,  
They never try to get along,  
But they need each other,  
It's an unknown bond.”

So was he the deer or the wolf? Scorpius wondered, it was a loss either way. He was either a creature of darkness or a prancing creature. It was definitely a loss-loss situation. Scorpius opened his eyes, unware of Frank watching him in amusement.

“One waits in the dark,  
While the other seeks light,  
But they both have hearts,  
That break in the night.”

Come away, come away darling,  
Look at how we are,  
See ourselves reflected in a river,  
Guess that's the hardest part,  
On and on and on my love,  
Agree to disagree,  
Under the surface its role reversal,  
The opposite’s decree,  
We're both in tune,  
When we're chasing the moon,  
But under the sun I'm hunted just like you.”

“Well,” Frank said thoughtfully, “Could Al make it any more obvious that he fancies the pants off of you?”

“What?” Scorpius asked sharply, pretending to play dumb.

Frank snorted, “Oh come on Scorp, it’s obvious that you know. He couldn’t have made it anymore obvious unless he said, ‘Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, I bloody fancy you’, could he?”

Scorpius groaned and let his face fall into his hands, “It’s so awkward Frank! I wish he would just stop dedicating bloody songs to me.”

“That was Sophie Ellis-Bexter with “The Deer & the Wolf”. It really hits home for me, that one.”

“Oh Salazar’s slimy ball sack, turn it off!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Don’t you dare put that bloody radio on Zach.”

Zacharias Smith (the second) smirked, “Why not Scorpius? I thought you loved Al’s radio show!”

“Shut up you sarcastic prat,” Scorpius said, “You know I can’t stand Potter and his stupid show!”

“Well he’s my best friend so I am obligated to support him,” Zach said, turning the radio on.

Scorpius dropped his head down onto the grass, “Why am I the only one who sees this show for what it really is? Sappy, romantic bullshit!”

“Probably because all that sappy, romantic bullshit is about you,” Zach said matter of factly, “And it’s probably right about time for the weekly 'Scorpius Malfoy, I love you' dedication.”

“Fuck you Zach.”

“Oh here it is!” Zach said with a sly grin, bloody Slytherins.

“Here’s one that I love. I’ve loved this song for years, it’s one my Aunt Hermione introduced me to when I was little. These days I really think about that special someone when I listen to it though. This person is so close, but so far which is just incredibly frustrating. This song is called “Iris” and it’s by a great band called the Goo Goo Dolls. It really sums up how I feel.”

Scorpius didn’t even give Zach the satisfaction of a groan. He just stared at the grass as another song played. What was it with Albus Potter spilling out his heart to him anyway? Merlin, it was getting tiring.

“And I'd give up forever to touch you,  
Cause I know that you feel me somehow,  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be,  
And I don't wanna go home right now.”

“Ooh, he doesn’t want to go home,” Zach smirked, “Because he doesn’t see you in the school holidays, you know?”

Scorpius rolled his eyes, “Closest to heaven? What fucking world is he living in?”

“The world where you see everything through rose tinted glasses cause you’re in loooove,” Zach teased.

“Ugh!” Scorpius exclaimed.

“And all I can all taste is this moment,  
And all I can breathe is your life,  
Sooner or later it's over,  
I just don’t' wanna miss you tonight.”

“I reckon he’s proper worried about graduation you know,” Zach said, the teasing tone leaving his voice, “Because you two are never going to see each other that. I reckon he’s worried he’ll miss his chance with you.”

“Well if that’s how he feels the coward can actually tell me to my face rather than passively aggressively dedicating songs to me on the Hogwarts radio station!” Scorpius exclaimed irritably.

“And I don't want the world to see me,  
Cause I don't think that they'd understand,  
When everything’s made to be broken,  
I just want you to know who I am.”

Zach looked at Scorpius knowingly, “That’s why he won’t say anything. He’s worried you won’t feel the same, he doesn’t even know if you’re gay. None of us do Scorp, you’re a cryptic git. Albus has no idea where he stands with you and he’s scared of you rejecting him. He thinks you’re better than him.”

Scorpius scoffed, “How can he think that? He’s a Potter for Heaven’s sake, he’s the son of Harry Potter. My Dad was a Death Eater.”

Zach rolled his eyes and got to his feet, “That wasn’t what I meant. You can work it out for yourself, maybe if you listened to his show every week you would understand.”

“Listen to Potter’s stupid muggle radio show,” Scorpius muttered as Zach walked away, “As if.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Are you listening to Al’s radio show? Voluntarily?”

Scorpius jumped as Frank entered the empty study hall he had been revising in, “Uh...I was studying, I didn’t realise it was on.”

Frank grinned, “A likely excuse. Why the change of heart?”

“I haven’t had a change of heart!” Scorpius objected, “There was just nothing else on.”

“Right, I’ll buy that excuse,” Frank lied. He chuckled in amusement as he sat down next to his friend, opening his notebook and taking out a quill.

Scorpius kept his gaze down and tried to look like he wasn’t listening to Albus Potter’s every word. He was fairly sure that Frank wasn’t buying it though. He had known Scorpius since he was about 5 years old after all.

“Well since the rumour mill broke last week, I guess you all know the truth about me. Yes, I am gay. The son of Harry Potter, it’s a travesty right? Everyone says my parents must be so disappointed in me and the funny thing is that they couldn’t be more wrong. My Mum always knew, she just laughed when I told her and my Dad was totally fine with it. He doesn’t give a toss so to everyone whispering about me, I don’t care!”

Scorpius smiled slightly, so Albus Potter did have some Gryffindor courage after all. He had always wondered but he had never seen any evidence of this until now.

“So this song is for everyone who feels like they never fitted in. Since the truth is out now I’ll also chuck this into the rumour mill, this song is for the guy I’ve liked since I was about 13. He’s had it a bit shitty at times, and he doesn’t have a lot of self-esteem because of that. So this is for him, and for everyone else out there who doesn’t think they have any worth. You are all perfect, remember that!”

Scorpius frowned slightly as Frank said, “That’s why he’s a role model.”

Scorpius just nodded, “Did you hear about the gay thing?”

“Yeah, it was all over the rumour mill,” Frank yawned, “I couldn’t not hear it. I told Al I didn’t give a shit though.”

“I think I need to congratulate him, on not giving a shit about what anyone thinks,” Scorpius admitted as the song Albus had talked about began to play.

“Made a wrong turn, once or twice,  
Dug my way out, blood and fire,  
Bad decisions, that's alright,  
Welcome to my silly life.”

Scorpius didn’t know that Albus knew him so well. He had made a few mistakes in his life, like telling his parents he was gay in 6th year. That had been a real mistake, they had reacted so badly at first that Scorpius had not told another person since. 

His Mother had talked his Father around since then, but to Draco Malfoy it was a huge shock. His son would no longer provide an heir, it had been a big deal. In the end he had realised that his son was more important than any of his future grandchildren however.

“Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood,  
Miss no way, it's all good,  
It didn't slow me down,  
Mistaken, always second guessing.  
Underestimated, look I'm still around.”

Scorpius couldn’t help but smile slightly as he listened to the song. He really hoped that Frank hadn’t noticed.

“Pretty pretty please,  
Don't you ever ever feel,   
Like you're less than fucking perfect,  
Pretty pretty please,  
If you ever ever feel,  
Like you're nothing,  
You're fucking perfect, to me.”

“Well, I’d say that’s love,” Frank smirked.

Scorpius stared resolutely down at his essay, “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Of course you don’t,” Frank said, amusement lacing his voice.

“That beautiful and inspiring song was sung by P!nk and it is called “Fucking Perfect”, can’t play that on the early radio show. It’s far too explicit for the 1st years. That’s me off air, sleep well students of Hogwarts!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Since when did you like Al Potter’s radio show?” 

Scorpius shrugged as Philip Nott sauntered into their dorm room, “It’s good background noise for writing essays.”

“What essay are you writing?”

“That bitch of an essay for DADA,” Scorpius yawned as he turned the radio up. He was lying face down on his bed trying to finish this nightmare.

“Oh man, the one where we have to pick a topic?” Phil asked, “That was a nightmare. I picked boggarts, didn’t realise how many books there were about bloody boggarts in the library though. What’s yours about?”

“Vampires,” Scorpius said, stifling another yawn.

“It’s getting late now so I’ll play one last song for you lovely students. I’m going to miss you all when I graduate next month. I hope you’ll find a decent replacement for my radio show. This one is called “Save My Heart” and it’s by a relatively unknown singer called Jason Reeves. I completely empathise here, I’ve been saving my heart for someone for a very long time.”

Scorpius’s hand froze over his essay. He had really started listening to these dedications, kind of obsessively actually. He was starting to get concerned.

“I want what I can't have,  
I wanna make you mine,  
I don't care what it takes,  
I'm fearless with heart,  
I'll take it any place,  
I don't care if it breaks.  
I wanna tell you things I never tell myself,  
These secrets hurt like hell.”

Scorpius chewed on his lip, it was getting harder and harder to stand next to Albus in Herbology and not say something. It was getting harder and harder not to blush when he looked at the handsome, dark haired, green eyed boy. He really did not know how long he could keep this up for.

Albus was too scared to say something to Scorpius, but then on the other hand he was dedicating insanely romantic songs like this to him all of the time. Scorpius was torn between being honoured and being so frustrated it hurt. He was either going to shout at Albus or shove him up against a wall and kiss him as hard as he could.

Scorpius frowned as he pushed that thought away. He was glad he was lying on his front, and he was also glad that Phil was too busy getting things out of trunk to even look his way.

“Call me crazy,  
Maybe I'm insanely out of my mind,  
But it'll never phase me,  
If I have to I am not afraid to,  
Save my heart for you,  
I'm a rebel, even if its trouble,  
I'm gonna pull you out from the rubble,  
If I have to I'm not afraid to,  
Save my heart for you.”

Tell me I'm wrong,  
Turn around and run,  
Still I'm gonna,   
Save my heart for you.”

Scorpius abandoned his essay, vaguely aware of the large ink splodge that had just ruined the last few lines of his work. He let his head fall onto the bed and he groaned.

“What’s up mate?” Phil asked from the bed opposite him.

“Just this essay,” Scorpius lied, this essay and Albus Potter more like. Goddamn it, this was getting ridiculous.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Luce, turn that off. I’m trying to study for my Transfiguration exam,” Scorpius said, he was exhausted and the last thing he wanted to do was listen to Albus talk about how in love with him he was.

Lucy Weasley crossed her arms, “No,” the Hufflepuff said, “I really like Al’s show. This is the last song and then I’ll turn it off.”

Scorpius grumbled, “Shouldn’t he be revising for his exams?”

“He’s not a Ravenclaw,” Lucy said in amusement, “None of us study as much as you.”

“Well I want to do well,” Scorpius said, rubbing at his temple as he felt a migraine coming on.

“We all do Scorpius,” Lucy said honestly, “But you are pushing yourself way too hard. You’re going to get sick and then you’ll miss the big party after graduation! Let me listen to the end of Al’s show, okay?”

“Fine,” Scorpius muttered, mostly because he couldn’t be bothered arguing anymore. Arguing would only make his head hurt more.

“So closing the show for today is a pretty sappy song. It’s coming to you all the way from the 1980’s. I know, that was like a million years ago, right? My Dad was a kid in the 80’s after all! It’s an old song, but it’s a classic. It’s a love song about wanting a friendship to be more and you all know that I sympathise with that! Here it is, “I Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore” by Reo Speedwagon.”

Scorpius managed not to groan, but it was with some frustration. Merlin the song was cheesy. By now the entire school clearly knew that these songs were about him. Frank had worked it out, and so had Zach. Then again, Zach was Albus’s best friend.

“I can't fight this feeling any longer,  
And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow,  
What started out as friendship has grown stronger,  
I only wish I had the strength to let it show.”

Lucy gave Scorpius a sideways grin. He rolled his eyes, so she knew too. As a cousin of Albus he supposed that made sense. But did that mean that one of his best friends knew too? Had Rose known all along and said nothing? Oh if she had, he would bloody well throttle her!

“And I can't fight this feeling anymore,  
I've forgotten what I started fighting for,  
It's time to bring this ship into the shore,  
And throw away the oars, forever,  
Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore,  
I've forgotten what I started fighting for,  
And if I had to crawl upon the floor,  
Come crashing through your door,  
Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore.”

Scorpius tried not to glance warily at the door. Part of him was terrified that Albus was going to barge into the hall, stand on a table and declare that he was madly in love with him. But thankfully that did not happen. Albus was a Slytherin after all, and that was certainly not his style. That was far more the style of his older brother who had been a Gryffindor until he graduated two years ago.

“Are you going to tell Al that you feel the same before we graduate?” Lucy asked knowingly.

Scorpius glared at her and shoved his books and parchment into his bag, “If your stupid cousin can’t tell me himself then he can miss his chance, see if I care.”

“You do care Scorpy!” Lucy smirked as Scorpius got to his feet.

“No, I don’t,” Scorpius objected, stalking out of the hall with his nose in the air as only a Malfoy could.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Scorpy?”

Scorpius looked up sleepily, “Hmm?”

“You fell asleep,” Rose said, pulling her bushy red hair into a ponytail, “Did that last exam tire you out?”

Scorpius yawned, “The whole exam period tired me out Rosie. Hmm, is that coffee?”

“Uh-huh,” Rose smiled, “With caramel syrup and a hint of cream, just like you like it,” she said cheerfully.

Scorpius accepted the cup from her as she sat down next to him on the sofa and slipped under the blanket that he was using, “What do you want?”

“Me?” Rose asked in surprise, “I don’t want anything,” she snuggled close to him beneath the blanket, “I was just going to keep you company while we listened to Al’s last ever radio show ever.”

Scorpius bit his lip, “Rose-”

“I know, you’re dying to listen to it too!” Rose exclaimed in the empty common room, “How convenient!”

Scorpius rolled his eyes as she twisted her hand and the radio burst into life, “You are a meddling pain, Rosie.”

“But I’m your meddling pain,” Rose said with an amused smile, “Looks like we’ll just catch the last song.”

“Wonderful,” Scorpius said sarcastically.

“So I am closing my last ever show. I feel pretty emotional to be honest, I’m really going to miss doing this. I think I will definitely have to go into business with the WWN after I graduate. Speaking of graduating, that’s sort of how I want to end this show. You know that a huge part of my show has been the songs about this guy I have had a crush on forever. I still haven’t had the guts to tell him, and I doubt that I ever will now. So this song sums up pretty much how I have felt about him over the years. Here it is, my last ever song for you guys. Enjoy it!”

Scorpius sighed, and Rose hummed, “You should tell him you fancy the pants off of him Scorpy.”

Scorpius rolled his eyes, “I’m not surprised that you know.”

“Oh I’ve known for ages,” Rose sighed, “And it would be a real shame if you graduated without telling each other how you feel. Well if you graduated without you telling Al how you feel. Al has been telling you through the medium of radio for ages.”

“I’m not going to say anything,” Scorpius said firmly as Albus’s final song began to play.

“Every breath you take,  
Every move you make,  
Every bond you break,  
Every step you take,  
I'll be watching you.”

“That’s just bloody well creepy, Rose!” Scorpius exclaimed, “He’s been stalking me!”

“Observing is probably a better word,” Rose said diplomatically, “But the Potters are a bit obsessive. They do have this tendency to stalk, I mean his Dad basically stalked your Dad for a whole year just because he thought he was a Death Eater.”

Scorpius looked at his best friend with an amused smile, “You’re rambling, Rosie.”

Rose grinned sheepishly, “Sorry.”

“Oh can't you see?  
You belong to me,  
How my poor heart aches,  
With every step you take,  
Every move you make,  
Every vow you break,  
Every smile you fake,  
Every claim you stake,  
I'll be watching you.”

Scorpius frowned at the radio, feeling oddly emotional. They were graduating tomorrow, this really was his last chance unless he wanted to jump Albus in the middle of the graduation ceremony. He shook his head at the thought.

“Sure you don’t want to tell him?” Rose asked, reading her best friend like a book.

“Shh,” Scorpius said as Albus began to speak.

“That was “Every Breath You Take” by the Police and that...well that was for Scorpius Malfoy. There, I’ve said it. Scorpius Malfoy is the bloke I’ve fancied since I was about 13. Well it feels good to finally get that out there...Uh alright...I am officially off air now, but keep loving the radio kids and it has been a pleasure to DJ for you!”

Rose grinned at Scorpius, she turned the radio off with a simple hand movement, “What are you going to do?”

Scorpius got to his feet, still looking relatively stunned, “Uh...I’m going to find Potter before he gets back to the common room and I’m gonna...well I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“Go then!” Rose exclaimed eagerly as she ushered him out of the common room, “Run to your love, Scorpius!”

Scorpius shot her an amused look, “Fuck off, Rose,” he said before darting down the stairs of Ravenclaw Tower.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Scorpius knew that Albus did his live radio show from the grounds. He got less interference from the magic there, hence why the radio station had been set up in a new building in a remote part of the grounds. He had a long way to go to intercept him before the Slytherin common room but Scorpius knew several secrets passages.

He darted down the first one and emerged feeling fairly breathless on the 1st floor. He paused to catch his breath before tickling a portrait and descending a ladder that brought him out in the lower dungeons. He leant against the door to the potions storeroom and breathed heavily. Why did Albus’s common room have to be so far away from his? He thought to himself as he darted along the corridor and emerged in the large chamber where the door to the Slytherin common room was.

Scorpius was just in time. Albus was standing in front of the door, about to step into the common room.

“Albus, wait!” Scorpius called breathlessly.

Albus froze and for a moment Scorpius thought he was going to bolt into the common room. He didn’t though, he let the heavy stone door slide shut and he turned to look at Scorpius.

Scorpius walked over to him, a little more with it now that he had sufficiently caught his breath, “I heard what you said on the radio.”

“I...I...Scorpius...I,” Albus stuttered.

Scorpius grinned at the raven haired boy and took a step forward. Albus took a step back, which was what Scorpius had wanted him to do. The Ravenclaw boy took another step forward and pressed Albus against the wall. Before the Slytherin could ask him what he was doing Scorpius had made his intentions clear.

He closed the small space between them and kissed Albus. It was tentative at first because Scorpius was actually quite thoughtful and he didn’t want to alarm the poor boy. He did seem quite timid in a lot of ways after all. Albus gasped in surprise but returned the kiss instantly and with fervour. He wrapped his arms around Scorpius’s neck and pulled him closer. Scorpius groaned and deepened the kiss, his mind going blissfully blank. He had fantasised about this for years, even if he had only really begun to admit it in the past year. After all it had taken him 6 years to even come to terms with the fact that he was gay.

All Scorpius could focus on was Albus, everything was about Albus. The smaller boy broke the kiss after what felt like hours and Scorpius smirked at the effect he had on him. His cheeks were bright pink, his hair was a mess (more so than usual anyway) and his green eyes were slightly glazed over.

“You like me too,” Albus breathed in disbelief.

“Like is an understatement,” Scorpius breathed, still insanely close to Albus, “I’ve liked you ever since you started passively aggressively dedicating songs to me on the radio.”

Albus grinned sheepishly, “You picked up on that?”

“Al, the whole school picked up on that,” Scorpius smirked, disentangling himself from the smaller boy and attempting to fix his hair.

Albus smiled, it was usually pristine. But right now it was all over the place, his robes were rumpled and his tie was half off. Albus decided there and then that Scorpius really suited the thoroughly snogged look.

“Right,” Albus said, “Well...um...so...”

Scorpius shook his head fondly at the fumbling boy, “So I’ll see you tomorrow at graduation,” he said as he fixed his tie.

Albus nodded, “And then?”

“And then I’ll see you for a date,” Scorpius said with an easy grin, “Do you prefer French or Italian food?”

“Um,” Albus frowned, “Italian, I think, but I’ve never tried French so I can’t categorically answer that-”

Scorpius shook his head, “You are so much like Rosie sometimes, she rambles too. Do you trust me to book a table somewhere?”

Albus nodded stupidly.

“Fantastic,” Scorpius said, “I’ll look forward to it.”

“Uh-huh,” Albus said, “Too...Uh, me too I mean.”

Scorpius grinned at the flustered Slytherin boy, “Goodnight Al.”

“Night Scorpius,” Albus said, leaning against the wall for support as Scorpius sauntered out of the chamber unperturbed.

THE END :)


	29. These Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of Drarry angst!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this tumblr post by ‘kulturbanausen’,
> 
> “How do you go back to being strangers with someone who has seen your soul?”

Traditionally Gryffindors were brave, and Slytherins were cowards. Gryffindors were heroes and Slytherins were villains. Those were the typical stereotypes attached to those two Hogwarts houses.

But they were not always true. Peter Pettigrew had been a cowardly Gryffindor and Regulus Black had been a brave Slytherin. As these stories began to be told the world began to see that the lines between good and evil were very much blurred.

Harry Potter was, statistically speaking, one of the bravest Gryffindors since Godric himself. And Draco Malfoy, well he was the coward who had been hugged by Voldemort as he ran away. It should have been clear which one was brave and which one was the coward in that relationship, but the lines had been blurred.

Draco sighed heavily as the man in question walked past him without a word or even a glance. How could he go back to acting as if they were strangers after everything they had experienced together? He had loved Harry Potter, he had loved him more than he had ever loved another human in his life. He had been willing to give up everything for Harry just weeks into their short love affair.

Draco was willing to betray his family, to be disowned, to lose his Father. He was ready to lose his fortune, his name and everything that he had once held so dearly. What had begun as a drunken one night stand after the war had become a full blown fling. For Draco it was so much more than sex, and Harry knew that.

But the war had changed Harry. He wasn’t innocent or pure anymore. Whatever had happened to him on the run, or in the forest, had changed him. He was cold, bitter, and sometimes he seemed to be without emotion. Draco had hoped that he felt something, that it wasn’t just about the physical aspect of their relationship.

He had clearly been wrong. Harry was the coward in this instance. Draco was going to give up everything for Harry, but Harry would not sacrifice a single thing for Draco. He was too afraid of what the Weasley’s would say, he was too afraid of losing Ron and Hermione. He was afraid of what the press would say, of what the Prophet would write about him. He was afraid that he would become hated, that everyone would turn against him.

For a Gryffindor, he was acting like a complete coward and it made Draco so angry.

So, to avoid having to face his fears Harry shut down and pretended that he felt nothing. Draco hoped that was what he was doing, because if it wasn’t...well it meant that Harry really didn’t feel anything for him, and never had.

He just didn’t know how Harry could do it. Draco was trying to act like he didn’t care, but he did. He cared so much, too much. Going back to being strangers just wasn’t an option for him. He had bared his soul to Harry, he had shared with him his greatest fears. He had talked about some of his most horrible memories, he had cried with regret for everything that he had done and had been forced to do in the war. And Harry had held him and made him feel human again, he had showed him that he wasn’t the monster that everyone painted him to be.

How could he just forget about all of that, like none of it mattered at all? It was killing Draco inside, but he knew that there was nothing he could do. If Harry was so terrified of the world’s perception of their relationship, Draco could not change that.

So he had to swallow the pain and try to pretend, like Harry was, that none of it had ever meant anything to him.

But it had, oh god, it had.

THE END.


	30. Cold Day for August

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even more Drarry angst!

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Draco sighed as he sat down on a damp bench and tried to ignore the drizzling rain.

He pulled his cloak tighter and shivered against the cold, “I hope you’re doing better than I am. I’m managing I suppose, life is carrying on, like it always does.”

Draco frowned and threw up a rain repelling charm as the drizzle turned into a downpour, “It’s just that...nothing has been the same since the accident, do you know what I mean? There’s just been this space in my life, a huge, empty hole.”

He was vaguely aware of the warm tears sliding down his cold cheeks, but he didn’t wipe them away, “I’ve gone back to work now which helps a little. It keeps the loneliness at bay at least. I’m still talking to myself when I’m alone in the house. I’ve gotten so used to you being there and replying, but you don’t reply anymore and I don’t know how long it’s going to take me to get over that.”

Draco swallowed the lump that was rising in his throat, “I just want to stop and let it all hit me, but I can’t. I have to keep myself going for the sake of Scorpius and James. I have to at least pretend to be strong. They aren’t quite old enough to understand it all yet, they know you’re gone and sometimes they ask when you’re coming back. I don’t think they understand that you won’t be coming back at all...they are only toddlers after all.”

He felt sick, and the tears were flowing faster than ever. Draco took his gaze away from the ground and finally stared at the tombstone in front of him, “Because you haven’t just gone away Harry. You died, you promised me that you would never leave us and you have.”

Draco took a shaky breath as he tried to keep his emotions at bay, “I knew when I fell in love with you that it wouldn’t end happily. I thought you would realise that you were with an idiotic coward. I thought I would say something stupid and you would leave. I never thought it would end like this though.”

He raised his hand to wipe away the worst of the tears, “After everything you went through as a child why didn’t you quit being an Auror when we adopted the boys? Sometimes I just feel so angry at you for choosing the life that you did.”

Draco’s hands had balled up into fists and his breaths were ragged. He was angry but he also felt the most profound sense of loss, “If you hadn’t been so stubborn then you would still be with us today instead of gone like this. I’m so goddamn bitter because of you Harry, and I’m trying so hard not to be because I don’t want to bring up our kids the way my Father brought me up. But it’s a fucking vicious cycle, and it’s so hard to break.”

The grave didn’t talk back. It just stood in front of Draco and got battered by the rain that was falling heavily from the sky. The words engraved forever in the stone were all that Draco had left of Harry.

"Here lies  
Harry James Potter  
31st July 1980 to 3rd February 2008  
Beloved Husband, Father and Friend.

Death is but the last adventure."

“I can’t do it without you, Harry,” Draco whispered, his eyes burning as the tears refused to fall, “I can’t be the kind of Father that they deserve without you.”

He tore his gaze away from the stone and stared at the ground as the water and mud began to merge on the grassy knoll where Harry was buried. Just at the bottom of that small hill stood the graves of his Mother and Father.

Draco wiped his eyes for a final time and rose to his feet, cancelling the rain repelling charm. As his hair and clothes were soaked by the vicious rain he said, “So all I can do is come here and talk to your grave every day, like you can actually hear me. Everyone keeps saying that it’s unhealthy but what else can I do?”

He glanced at the grave one final time before turning around and walking towards the kissing gate that would take him back into the town of Godric’s Hollow where the house he and Harry had bought was located. The house that they had decided to raise their twin children in, the house that now felt empty, cold and haunted all of the time.

Amidst the rain he had never noticed the shadowy figure sitting on a grave a little way away from Harry’s. The shadowy figure that almost looked like Harry if you looked closely enough. It sighed as it watched Draco’s retreating form and whispered, “I miss you too, Draco.”

The whisper was carried by the wind towards the kissing gate.

Draco froze when he heard it, and shivers were sent down his spine. He spun around and squinted through the rain for any sign that he wasn’t alone in the graveyard. But it was too late, the shadowy figure was gone.

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this tumblr post by ‘xxfangirlonfirexx “hey how are you doing it’s been a while hasn’t it. yeah i guess i’m good but nothing’s really been the same since the accident. i started talking to myself a lot lately and waiting for responses because i’ve been so used to you being there but now you’re dead and oh look i’m crying over your grave au.”


	31. Stranded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because it's always fun to write Draco and Harry being stranded on a desert island together! :)

“Potter! Why are you not freaking out?”

Harry glanced over his shoulder at the blonde man, “Why would I be freaking out?”

Draco looked at the Gryffindor in disbelief, “Have you seen the flock of Hippogriffs chasing us?”

“They aren’t chasing us, they’re following us,” Harry said matter of factly, pausing to take off his shoes, “And they’re a herd, not a flock.”

Draco walked into the back of him, “Following - humph! Potter! They are ravenous, dangerous beasts-”

“Only if you call them that,” Harry said, abandoning his shoes on the beach and continuing to walk through the warm sand in his bare feet, “If you treat them well Hippogriffs are actually very kind creatures. Also, they don’t eat humans.”

“How do you know?” Draco asked sceptically.

“I actually paid attention in Care of Magical Creatures,” Harry smirked.

Draco rolled his eyes, “Why are they following us then?”

“Because they can feel magic and they know that I’m using it right now. They think that we’ll lead them to a water source if they follow us,” Harry yawned, glancing up at the darkening sky, “But at this rate I don’t think we’ll reach that water source before nightfall.”

“What do you think lives on this island after nightfall?” Draco asked warily.

“The same things that live on it during the day I expect,” Harry said sarcastically, “Unless there’s a particularly evil beast that just flies to this island at night to terrorise it.”

Draco glared at him, “Potter, I’m serious! There could be werewolves or Acromantula living on this island that will be waking up soon!”

“Werewolves don’t like water so we’re safe on the beach,” Harry said with a wave of his hand, “And Acromantula talk, you can reason with them for long enough to confuse them before running the hell away.”

Draco narrowed his eyes at the raven-haired man, “Why are you not freaking out?”

“For multiple reasons,” Harry replied, coming to a stop for a second time.

“What are - humph! Would you stop doing that?” Draco huffed.

Harry ignored him, surveying the scene carefully, “I think this is a good place to stop for the night. It’s a wide stretch of open beach, safe from anything that might be living in that forest. It’s going to get dark really quickly here, I’m guessing we’re near the equator.”  
“Why are you so calm?” Draco asked again.

Harry finally turned around to face Draco properly, “Three reasons, I’m not a coward like you, this isn’t even real and I spent a year on the run.”

Draco glared at him, “I’m not a coward, I risked everything to help your side in the war. I swear, you have a short fucking memory. And just so you know, there’s not anything saying that we can’t die in simulation.”

“Yes there is,” Harry said, pulling his wand from the waistband of his trousers, “It was in the small print of the contract.”

“Was it?” Draco asked in surprise.

“Uh-huh,” Harry said, raising his wand, “We can’t die in field simulations, we can get grievously injured but when we wake up we’re fine. It’s like waking from a dream. Next year when we start doing real field work there are no guarantees, but that’s next year.”

“You read the contract that thoroughly?” Draco asked sceptically, “That doesn’t sound like you.”

Harry grinned sheepishly at him, “I didn’t, Hermione did.”

Draco rolled his eyes, “Figures.”

Harry chuckled, “Anyway, make yourself useful. Can you start the campfire while I put up protection charms for the night?”

“Sure,” Draco said.

“Thank you,” Harry said gratefully, “Salvio Hexia...”

Draco frowned as he looked around the darkening beach, “Potter...”

“Salvio Hexia,” Harry said again as he walked around Draco in a circle, “What?”

“There isn’t any wood,” Draco said, rather stupidly.

“Salvio - There isn’t any fucking wood? Holy Mother of Godric! Are you a wizard or not?” Harry exclaimed, forgetting his protective enchantment as he stared at Draco in disbelief and horror.

Draco’s cheeks burned bright pink, “Right, Accio wood.”

The wood came hurtling from the forest and Harry let his wand drop to his side, “You could have just created a magical fire.”

“But then Ashwinders would have come out of it!” Draco exclaimed.

“Only if you left it alone for hours!” Harry argued.

“Conjuring wood was still safer,” Draco said firmly.

Harry sighed in disbelief, “Merlin, I need to set you and Hermione up. She forgot she was a Witch too. Mind you, she was 11 not 20 fucking years old.”

Draco glared at him, “Oh fuck off Potter! Haven’t you noticed the herd of Hippogriffs staring at us? It kind of puts me under pressure!”

“Well not everyone is terrified of Hippogriffs,” Harry muttered, “Because not everyone is an idiot who decided to insult one.”

“I was 13!”

“But as much of an idiot then as you are now,” Harry said, far too sassily. 

Draco groaned, “I’m going to fail this simulation test, aren’t I?”

“I hope so,” Harry said, throwing himself onto the sand, “Because I seriously can’t deal with you being my Auror partner. You are an incompetent pain in the arse.”

“Well you’re know-it-all show off!” Draco remarked.

“Oh shut up or I’ll feed you to the Hippogriffs,” Harry said offhandedly, “They look pretty hungry, don’t you think?”

Draco’s face paled, “I thought you said they didn’t eat humans.”

“Normally they don’t,” Harry admitted, “But this is a desert island and those Hippogriff’s look starving.”

Draco edged closer to him, “So you’re in charge then, yeah?”

Harry smirked, “Sure. Now, can you be quiet while I finish these protection charms?”

Draco nodded, “Right, okay. What can I do to help?”

“Make some sort of shelter,” Harry said distractedly.

“Okay,” Draco said with a nod.

Harry continued to walk in a circle and cast the protective charms, “Protego Totalum...”

“Shelter,” Draco mumbled, “But Potter, we don’t have a tent.”

“Protego Horribilis,” Harry glared at Draco, “Did you pay any attention in Basic Survival classes?”

“I missed the class about what to do without a tent,” Draco said sheepishly, “I was at the London Fashion Show.”

“Oh Merlin help me,” Harry murmured, “Look Malfoy - Protego Totalum - Just make any kind of shelter, okay? Build it out of wood, make a ditch in the sand, just do something.”

Draco nodded slowly before conjuring more wood and clattering around loudly as he tried to build a shelter. Harry rolled his eyes and continued casting protective charms. When he was finished he turned around to see Draco’s shelter.

“What the fuck is that?”

“It’s a basic shelter!” Draco exclaimed, “Like you said!”

Harry cast his eyes over the ‘shelter’. It consisted of two wooden posts with a shirt draped over the top, Draco’s shirt.

“Do you really think that’s going to keep us both dry if it rains tonight?” Harry asked in disbelief.

“It will keep me dry,” Draco said simply, “You can build your own fucking shelter.”

“Did you miss the whole emphasis on team work when we were briefed on this test?” Harry asked irritably.

“I am not adept at this sort of thing! Give me a puzzle to solve or a bad guy to duel, don’t chuck me on a desert island for Salazar’s Sake! I spent my life as a privileged little brat, how am I supposed to know how to do shit like this?” Draco huffed.

“You should have listened in class, like everyone else,” Harry said irritably, transfiguring Draco’s shirt into a waterproof roof for the shelter, “Wasn’t Transfiguration your best subject at school?”

“Second best to Potions,” Draco muttered, “And I didn’t think of doing that, did I?”

“Clearly not, or you would have done it,” Harry said, sitting down under the shelter, “Can you at least get food without cocking it up?”

“What kind of food?” Draco asked, “Because all I’ve seen are coconuts and I’m allergic to them. I can’t even touch them or I come up in this horrible rash, it’s like spattergroit honestly, it doesn’t make me attractive.”

“You aren’t attractive at the best of times anyway,” Harry said with a pointed look at him, “And there has to be more food than coconuts on this island.”

Draco looked out over the beach thoughtfully, “Can you eat Hippogriff meat?”

“If you want to be eaten by the rest of the herd, sure,” Harry said sarcastically, “And I can’t see you skinning and gutting anything anyway. You’re a bloody baby.”

“I prefer pampered brat,” Draco said.

“I don’t care what you prefer,” Harry said, getting to his feet irritably, “Stay here while I go and find food. Don’t touch anything and don’t try and kill anything, alright?”

Draco nodded huffily as Harry stalked off towards the forest. When he returned with his arms full of fruit he saw a strange sight coming from the campsite. He frowned as he neared it and eventually realised that it was on fire and Draco was hopping around madly trying to put out the fire on his trouser leg.

“What the hell did you do?” Harry asked in disbelief.

“The bird!” Draco shrieked, pointing to a wicked looking bird that was resting on top of their burning shelter, “Can you put out this fire please?”

Harry rolled his eyes and pushed Draco into the ocean. He emerged, spluttering and looking fuming, “What was that for?”

“I was putting out the fire,” Harry said casually, “What did you do to that bird?”

“I tried to kill it, for food,” Draco began to say, “But then it breathed fire on the campsite. How can it even - aghhhhhh!”

“It’s a fire jay, you idiot!” Harry said as the bird in question flew towards the forest, “And I told you not to try and kill anything!”

Draco wasn’t paying attention to Harry anymore however. He was hopping about the beach on one foot yelping like a dog that was being tortured. Harry realised why when he looked at Draco’s left foot. He had trodden on a shrake, a magical creature that looked like a squid and dug in its spikes when it was trodden on.

Harry was past exasperated when he pushed Draco onto the sand, pulled the shrake off of his foot and threw it back into the ocean. He crossed his arms and looked down at the blonde man, “You are fucking useless, do you know that?”

“I told you, desert islands are not my strong point,” Draco whined as he nursed his foot.

“Well you have managed to fail to find food and set fire to our shelter,” Harry said irritably, “So you have definitely failed this task.”

“What does that mean?” Draco asked.

“Didn’t you pay any attention going into this?” Harry asked, he couldn’t believe Draco.

“I knew it was a test,” Draco said sheepishly.

“It was a test to determine who would be the Senior Auror among the pairs,” Harry said, smirking down at the blonde.

Draco’s eyes widened, “Shit!”

Harry’s smirk widened, “I know, that means I’m going to be the Senior Auror and I can’t wait to boss you-”

“No!” Draco exclaimed, pointing to a spot behind Harry, “The fire jay set a magical fire! There’s an ashwinder!”

Harry spun around and sighed heavily, “Fantastic. Malfoy, can you just go to the other side of the beach so that I can finish this task?”

Draco nodded warily and backed away, “Sure...yeah...see you.”

...

“And that is how I ended up being the Senior Auror in that partnership,” Harry finished, after telling this story to a group of new recruits.

Draco rolled his eyes in Harry’s general direction, “And the lesson to be learned from that story is-”

“Don’t be a coward in simulation because you will get owned by your Auror partner,” Harry finished cheerfully, to a roar of laughter from the recruits.

“I was going to say because you will get demoted,” Draco admitted, “But that works too.”

Harry smirked at Draco before turning back to the recruits, “Have fun in Auror training kids!”

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on a prompt from ‘otp--prompts’ on Tumblr. This prompt;
> 
> Imagine your OTP stranded on a deserted island. Person A is a survivalist expert but Person B has no idea what they’re doing and every attempt they make to help messes up what A is doing to make sure they have food and shelter. A banishes B to the other side of the beach where B passes their time pouting.


	32. Just Kids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit of Drarry and Scorbus, my two guilty pleasures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on a prompt on tumblr by ‘sentence-fragments’. The prompt is the first line of the story.

“Come on now, I think you’re being too harsh. He’s just a kid. Remember all of the stupid things we used to do when we were their age?" 

Draco raised an eyebrow at the dark haired man standing in front of him, “Your son attacked my son.”

“Actually, I think your son started it,” Harry said.

Draco of course took offence to this, “My son would never-”

“Dad,” Scorpius Malfoy said quietly, “I did start it.”

Harry tried not to smirk, “Kids do stupid things. We all did it, we all got in duels and fights. At least Scorpius showed up to the midnight duel he challenged Albus to. I’ll give him more credit than you for that.”

Albus frowned, “You had a midnight duel too Dad?”

“No, Albus,” Harry said, glancing down at his son who was in his 1st year at Hogwarts, “Mr. Malfoy challenged me to a midnight duel and then told Mr. Filch where I would be so that I would get in trouble.”

“Dad! That’s a cowardly move!” Scorpius exclaimed.

Draco looked horrified, “How dare you speak to me like that, Scorpius?”

“He’s right,” Harry said, leaning against the classroom door, “What right do we have to punish our children for things that we did ourselves?”

“So you two really were enemies,” Albus said, looking from his Father to Scorpius’s Father.

“I only had one enemy Albus,” Harry said seriously, “And he died on the 2nd of May in 1998. However, I did not particularly like Mr. Malfoy while we were at school together. Therefore I am not going to punish you for duelling someone when I did something very similar in 1st year. However, Professor Zabini might well take points away from Slytherin house so you had better run along to his office.”

“But you’re a teacher too Dad,” Albus said, “Can’t you just let me get away with it?”

“If I let you get away with everything, you would never learn,” Harry said pointedly, “Go to his office, and don’t lie. I will check with him tomorrow to make sure you visited.”

“Fine,” Albus huffed, glancing behind him as he grabbed the door handle, “Sorry Scorpius.”

Scorpius looked sufficiently told off as he said, “Sorry Albus.”

Albus left the room, and Draco sighed, “Mr. Potter is right. I’ll let it go unpunished this time, but let this be a lesson to you. Let your Head of house decide your punishment.”

Scorpius grinned, “Professor Lovegood never takes points away!” he said cheerfully.

“Not for silly little things, but for duels, she does,” Harry assured the blonde boy.

Scorpius’s face fell and Draco said, a little more sharply, “Run along then!”

“Fine,” Scorpius sighed, stalking out of the room rather huffily.

When both children had left there was an awkward silence between Harry and Draco.

“We didn’t just do stupid things as children,” Draco said, a darkness in his eyes, “We tormented each other. I bullied you, and you seriously wounded me.”

“I apologised for what happened in 6th year-” Harry began to say, guilt flooding him at the very memory.

“I know,” Draco cut him off, “But it doesn’t change the fact that it happened. Just like it doesn’t change the fact that I bullied you so senselessly that you turned to violence.”

“What point are you trying to make?” Harry asked, a frown knitting its way onto his forehead.

Draco sighed, “I’m trying to say that we shouldn’t let that happen again. Scorpius and Albus are almost friends, bar the few cultural differences that they often argue about. I don’t want the next generation to turn out the way that we did.”

Harry smiled slightly, “That’s very mature of you.”

Draco frowned, “Yes well, that’s something I learned when my wife left me. I realised that I was becoming my Father which she never wanted, and I certainly never wanted. The last thing I want is for Scorpius to become me.”

Harry nodded slowly, “I don’t want Albus to become me either. He doesn’t have my temper or my quickness to anger and I don’t ever want him to develop that. It got me into far too much trouble when I was his age.”

“So we’re agreed then,” Draco said, looking up at Harry for the first time.

“Yes,” Harry said, “We are.”

“Good,” Draco said stiffly. He walked past Harry towards the door and only hesitated when his hand was resting on the knob, “You and Albus will come over for dinner one evening in the Easter holidays then? We will make it clear that we have put our differences to rest so that our children can?”

Harry was surprised by the proposal, but he nodded, “Of course.”

“Good,” Draco said awkwardly, before sweeping out of the abandoned classroom and shutting the door behind him.

THE END.


	33. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drarry once more. Starts out angsty but for once, has a happyish ending, yay!

“I thought I could trust you!”

“Well clearly you thought wrong.”

Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy stood atop a tall tower in an English manor. They were partners in every sense of the word, but it was being Auror partners that had brought them here. Draco’s wand was at Harry’s throat, and Harry’s wand lay abandoned very close to the towers edge. With one more gust of wind it would fall from the tower, never to be seen again.

Harry’s eyes burned into Draco’s, “Why would you do this Draco? Why would you go back to him?”

“He is my Father,” Draco hissed, “I don’t expect you to understand the concept of family.”

Harry’s eyes flashed angrily, “How dare you use that against me? How can you just betray me like this?”

Draco refused to meet Harry’s eyes, “I was using you Potter.”

“You never meant any of it?” Harry asked, the disbelief tinged with pain.

Draco scoffed, “You’re Harry Potter and I’m Draco Malfoy, of course I didn’t. But using you was easy, and making you think that I loved you was even easier. I got you right where I wanted you, unarmed.”

“And what are you going to do with me now?” Harry asked darkly, “Take me to your Father so that he can torture me and kill me?”

“No,” Draco replied, his wand hand shaking very slightly, “He doesn’t want you dead. He just wants this.”

Harry frowned as he followed Draco’s gaze. The blonde man leant down and picked up Harry’s wand.

“My wand?” Harry asked, “What does he want with that?”

“He knows you fixed it with the Elder Wand,” Draco replied.

“You told him that?” Harry asked angrily, “I trusted you with that information Draco! You knew how important it was that it didn’t get into the wrong hands! With that wand he could manufacture a wand similar to the Elder Wand, he could become the next Dark Lord!”

“I know,” Draco said coolly, “Why do you think he needs it?”

Harry was so angry, but he also felt incredibly stupid, “How did I ever trust you?” he spat with such venom, “How could I ever love a traitorous scumbag like you?”

Draco took a step back and visibly swallowed. It surprised Harry that the words had hurt him, considering what he was doing.

“After everything I did for you,” Harry continued, “I saved you from Azkaban, I got you into Auror training with my recommendation, I told my friends you were different, I told the world that you had changed!”

“The joke is clearly on you then, Potter,” Draco said, he took another step back with Harry’s wand clenched tightly in his hand.

“Clearly,” Harry said, an iciness to his voice that Draco had never heard before.

Draco looked at Harry for the first time upon that word and Harry saw a plethora of emotions swimming in those grey eyes. He saw hurt, sadness, pain and guilt all in the space of a few seconds. 

“I’m sorry,” Draco all but whispered.

Harry opened his mouth to ask what that meant, but before he could Draco had spun on his heel and disappeared from view. 

........................................................................................................................................

Draco’s heart pounded as he landed with a harsh thump at the gate of Malfoy Manor. He grabbed the gate and sucked in a long breath. He felt breathless, and he knew it wasn’t because of a bad apparition trip. He shut his eyes tightly and tried not to let any tears fall as his breathing returned to normal.

His chest hurt from how hard his heart was pounding but he pulled himself up to his full height and tried not to let it show. He walked up the path and pushed open the door to the Manor, he was greeted by his Father’s bodyguards in the entrance hall.

“Where is my Father?” Draco asked coolly.

“Drawing room,” Goyle Senior grunted.

Draco bowed his head and climbed the stairs, trying to keep his cool. He could hear his own heart beating as he pushed open the door and stepped into the drawing room.

Lucius Malfoy smiled at him, “Excellent performance Draco.”

“Where is he?” Draco asked, his cold stare burning into his Father.

“He is safe, as promised,” Lucius replied, “But I will not reveal where until I have the item I asked you to retrieve.”

Draco pulled Harry’s holly and phoenix feather wand from his pocket and thrust it towards his Father.

Lucius took the wand gratefully and caressed it.

“I want to know where he is! I did everything that you asked,” Draco said heatedly, “I took the wand, I betrayed the man that I-” he cut himself off.

Lucius only laughed, “Loved? It is a sweet concept Draco, but it is only a weakness. Look at what it did to you, look at how easy a target it made you.”

Draco steadied his breath, “I did what you asked, tell me where he is.”

Lucius rolled his eyes, “You always were impatient, even as a child.”

“I will not ask you a second time,” Draco hissed, pulling his wand from his pocket and holding it to his Father’s head, “Where is my son?”

Lucius raised his left hand carefully and clicked his fingers. A bookcase on the wall swivelled around, revealing a secret nook where Scorpius Malfoy was sitting on an armchair, clearly silenced.

Draco breathed a sigh of relief and dropped his wand. He rushed over to his 3 year old son and scooped him into his arms, mumbling the counter-curse to the silencing charm. Holding his son tightly he turned around and looked at his Father.

“Get out of my house.”

“Your house?” Lucius quipped.

“It stopped being your house when you were sent to Azkaban,” Draco said firmly, “You lost the deeds and the rights to all of this property. I brought you the wand, but I can just as easily call the authorities and have them take it off of you. So get out of my house.”

“As you wish,” Lucius said, slipping the wand into his pocket and exiting the drawing room without another word.

“Where’s Harry, Papa?” Scorpius asked, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

“We won’t be seeing Harry again,” Draco said, trying to ignore the lump that was forming in his throat.

Scorpius frowned, “Why?”

“Because we’re going to spend some time in France,” Draco said, aware that he didn’t have long to pack and get the hell out of Britain before the authorities came after him. He had abetted a known Death Eater and an escaped convict, he was facing 10 years in Azkaban and he couldn’t do that to Scorpius. Ever since Astoria had died, Draco was all that the little boy had.

“Don’t like France,” Scorpius huffed.

“I don’t care, that’s where we have to go,” Draco said, using the secret stairs at the back of the drawing room to get to his bedroom one floor up. 

He placed Scorpius on the bed and pulled a suitcase out from underneath it. He was about to open his drawers and start throwing things into the case when he heard a noise from outside. It was a shout of some sort.

Draco froze and edged over to the window. He pulled back the heavy curtain very slightly and opened the window by a crack. When he peered out he realised that he was too late. The garden was full of Aurors, and at the front of that group was none other than Harry Potter.

“Lucius Malfoy, you are under arrest!” Harry was shouting, “Drop the wand, now!”

Draco could not see or hear his Father, but he assumed that he was on the doorstep of the manor. The Aurors had clearly been waiting for him. There was a scuffle and a few spells went off. Draco heard a shout and assumed that his Father had been stunned.

Harry turned around and addressed the rest of the Aurors, “Search the house for Scorpius Malfoy. I think Lucius blackmailed Draco by threatening his son. Search all hidden areas of the house, especially the secret room underneath the drawing room floor. Okay?”

Draco’s eyes widened. The Aurors all nodded and barged into the house. He came back to reality with a snap when he heard footsteps on the stairs. If they found him like this it wouldn’t help his case. He shoved the suitcase back under the bed and picked Scorpius up, holding him to his chest tightly as he had when he first found him.

He opened the bedroom door and walked slowly out onto the landing which looked down into the entrance hall.

“Auror Malfoy!” One of the Aurors shouted, “Have you retrieved your son?”

Draco nodded and sat down on the top step. His heart was still pounding at the thought of facing Harry after what he had done. He watched the door carefully and froze when the raven haired man walked in, slipping his wand back into his pocket and searching the entrance hall for Draco.

When their eyes met they lingered for a moment too long. Scorpius was practically asleep in Draco’s arms after the drama of the day so Harry walked slowly up the stairs and sat down gently next to Draco.

“There will be an inquiry.”

“I know.”

“You’ll have to submit your memories,” Harry added.

“I know,” Draco said.

Harry didn’t take his eyes off of Draco, “You know what that means, don’t you?”

“It means they’ll find out that we were together,” Draco said quietly, “Not that it matters, because we aren’t anymore.”

Harry frowned, “Aren’t we?”

Draco looked at him in disbelief, “After what I just did?”

“You just stole my wand to save your son’s life,” Harry said calmly, “If it had been James, I would have done things exactly the same way. I even would have tipped off my Auror partner by throwing in a really out of context phrase like I’m sorry.”

Draco sighed in relief, “So you did cotton on to that then.”

“Of course I did,” Harry said, his hand resting on Draco’s knee, “And if it is alright with you I would quite like to still be together when this inquiry takes place.”

“You’re okay with the world finding out about us?” Draco asked quietly.

Harry smiled and slipped his hand into Draco’s, “I think it’s about time,” he admitted.

Draco nodded and looked down at his sleeping son. He tightened his grip on Harry’s hand and smiled at the shorter man, “Maybe it is.”

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on a sentence start of “I thought I could trust you!” from ‘writingforthefeels’ blog on Tumblr.


	34. Time Flies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drarry, Scorbus, Scorose. Literally a little bit of everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this post from tumblr user ‘sentence-fragments’.
> 
> "…They just grow up so fast.”

“It feels like only yesterday you know,” Harry said softly, “The day I held Rose, and Ron and Hermione told me I would be her Godfather. Now here she is, a married woman. They just grow up so fast.”

Draco Malfoy nodded from his spot next to Harry. They were watching the happy couple dancing gracefully around the floor. 

“Whoever would have thought that a Weasley would become a Malfoy?” Draco asked, sounding torn between amusement and exasperation.

Harry had to bite back a smirk as he said, “Miracles do happen, Draco.”

Draco smiled very slightly, “Clearly. You and I have become friends, we’re even on a first name basis.”

“Well that does tend to happen when you work in the same school as someone,” Harry joked, “However big a school it is.”

“Indeed,” Draco agreed.

Harry was silent for a moment as he surveyed the room. His youngest child and only daughter, Lily, had been dragged onto the dancefloor by the boy she thought of as a big brother, his Godson Teddy. His actual eldest biological child, James, was flirting with one of Scorpius’s friends on the side-lines. Harry had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at how typical they were of their birth rights. As he tore his eyes away, he found his other son Albus. He was smiling and holding a glass of champagne as he watched Rose and Scorpius laugh and dance.

“I thought he might have been a little upset today,” Harry admitted, “With them being a trio and all. It’s never easy when two members of a trio fall in love.”

“So what’s the solution then?” Draco asked, shooting Harry an amused look, “Marry one member’s sister?”

Harry actually laughed, “That wasn’t why I married Ginny, believe it or not. But Ron and Hermione did get married first and I felt as sad as I did happy in a lot of ways.”

“It’s different for those three,” Draco said simply.

“Is it?” Harry asked, his eyes still on the trio, “I always thought Albus felt something for Scorpius. Just like I did for….”

“Hermione, I know,” Draco said thoughtfully, “You and me both. She captivated a lot of us back in those days.”

“And now you are in-laws,” Harry said with a slight smile, “It’s ironic, isn’t it?”

Draco rolled his eyes, “Hardly. I mean that I felt a sense of kinship towards her. I wanted to be her friend, nothing more.”

“Hmm. Do you think inside hes upset, or jealous?” Harry asked.

Draco shook his head, “You really are clueless, aren’t you?”

Harry frowned, “What do you mean?”

“Those three are close,” Draco said slowly and clearly, “Closer than your trio ever were. Now stop being a romantic for a moment and think about this logically. The eldest child in every family needs to provide an heir, especially if that family is a pureblood one. Without an heir there is no one to continue the family name, the business, the legacy. Albus is lucky, he doesn’t have that hanging over his head because James is your oldest child and-” he chanced a glance at James who had moved on to one of Scorpius’s cousins, “-put bluntly, I doubt he will have a problem producing one.”

Harry was frowning at Draco as he continued to explain, “The situation is different for Scorpius. I would never have pressured him into an arranged marriage like my parents did for Astoria and myself. You saw how that ended, and I would never have wished that upon anyone, especially my son. He does realise however that he needs an heir, because without one the Malfoy name dies out. I let him choose the woman who would give him that heir, I advised him that a friend was the best person to spend his life with. Someone who understood him, who he could have conversations with and who could make him happy, even if he wasn’t inclined towards her in that way. You see, a marriage with someone you don’t love in that way is bearable if you love them in any way at all.”

Harry’s eyes widened as he finally began to understand where Draco was going with this, “Are you saying that Scorpius is…”

Draco simply nodded.

“And Rose knows?” Harry whispered.

Draco laughed, “Of course she knows. She is the daughter of Hermione Granger, one of the most perceptive people we know.”

“And Albus…” Harry trailed off.

Draco nodded once more, “Expect your son to be an eternal bachelor. Expect him to always remain close to my son and his wife, expect them to go on holidays together.”

Harry’s eyes were still wide. He shook his head in disbelief, “How did I not see that?”

“Because you’re Harry Potter, you’re blind to affairs of the heart,” Draco said, a different sort of tone in his voice as he did so.

Harry frowned slightly as he pondered those words. On the dance floor Rose caught Albus’s eye and said, “Hey Al, come and join us!”

Albus laughed as he was dragged onto the dancefloor. He and Scorpius encircled Rose and danced around her, and it made Harry smile.

“By Merlin, you’re right.”

“I know,” Draco said, a hint of smugness in his voice.

“But you also know far more about the need to provide an heir regardless of what you want,” Harry said, “And you know an awful lot about being forced into a loveless marriage. I think you understand your son’s predicament a lot better than you pretend.”

“What is it to you if I do?” Draco asked smoothly.

Harry looked away from Draco to his wife. Ginny was sitting with Hermione, they were both laughing and talking as they looked around the room.

“I understand more than you might think. I never felt like I had to produce an heir, but I was so lonely as a child. All that I ever wanted was children of my own, I wanted them to have siblings and loving parents. I understand marrying for love, even if it isn’t the romantic kind. Best friends can raise children together, children who understand love and have known it all their life. My three are proof of that.”

Draco tried to hide his surprise. But his eyes had widened ever so slightly. He looked away from Harry, “I never realised.”

Harry smirked, “Hadn’t you? Because I’ve always known about you Draco, and you say that I am the clueless one?”

Draco smiled and glanced over at him, “Touché.”

Harry’s smirk was still fresh on his face when he felt his hand being grabbed. He turned to see the face of his wife smiling cheekily at him, “Stop flirting with Malfoy, and come dance with me.”

Harry laughed and turned to Draco, “Enjoy the wedding, Draco.”

Draco chuckled and nodded, “You too, Harry.”

THE END.


	35. Third Wheel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because everyone loves a threesome?...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this prompt I found on Tumblr from ‘lycheelovescomics’.  
> “If you hear your housemate having loud sex, a cool thing to do is kick down the door and shout ‘PLAYER 3 HAS ENTERED THE GAME.”

I am a patient person. Not Hufflepuff patient, but patient enough. I can handle my best friend and my cousin dating, even though I have fancied said best friend for years.

Granted, it is awkward. Especially because I share a flat with said best friend, and said cousin is around all the goddamn time. I can handle our three way dinners and movie nights. I can handle her crashing every aspect of our lives.

I can normally handle them having sex too because normally they have the common sense and curtsey to use a bloody silencing charm! But in these last two weeks, they seem to have forgotten that such a spell exists. Every night I get home from work, hang up my cloak and sit down on the sofa to read a book. But that reading is interrupted by the shouts and moans and groans coming from Scorpius’s bedroom.

At first I let it slide. But then it started to piss me off, and with every day that passed I got more and more angry until eventually I snapped. I had just been at the pub with my best friend, Frankie Longbottom. I had ranted and raved about Scorpius and Rose and their sex life, and how unfair it was to force me to listen to it! I mean Rose surely knew how I felt about Scorpius, she was my cousin and I had never hidden it from her.

Frankie had listened as she always did. When I had finished, about 5 beers later, she bought me a 6th and told me what I had to do. I had been in Slytherin at school, but she urged me to follow in the Gryffindor footsteps of my oldest brother. Jamie was the greatest prankster the school had seen since the Marauders or Fred and George Weasley.

When I left the pub I was sure that I wasn’t going to do it. After all, it was so ridiculous, how could I?

My mind was changed when I got home though. I heard them the second I walked through the door. I hung up my cloak and tried my best to resist the urge to scream at them but then it got louder and I snapped.

I could have barged in angrily, but instead Frankie’s words rang in my head and with a smirk that could rival one of Scorpius’s I put her idea into motion.

I shoved the (unlocked) door down. I mean really, they didn’t even lock the door? And I barged into the room shouting, “PLAYER THREE HAS ENTERED THE GAME!”

I expected to get told to fuck off, in which case I was ready to fight back. I didn’t expect Rose to burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles and I didn’t expect Scorpius to grin smugly while neither of them made a move to shift the covers.

“About time,” Scorpius said simply, “We’ve been trying to get you to join us for weeks!”

My jaw dropped as Rose began to cry with laughter. I fixed my gaze on Scorpius and saw the amusement sparkling in his eyes, “You could have just asked!”

“No,” Scorpius smirked, “It was far more amusing this way.”

“Seriously?”

Scorpius’s smirk widened, “Seriously. Are you joining us or not? You didn’t come in here to just chat, did you?”

“Oh fuck off,” I replied, torn between being amused, pleased and pissed off.

The final coherent thought that did run through my head as four hands pulled me onto the bed was that I seriously hoped this wasn’t what my Dad meant when he said that our trio reminded him of his trio.

THE END.


	36. Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Draco gives his son a little bit of advice! (Heavy Dramione undertones)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this quote:  
> “Everyone deserves a second chance but not for the same mistake.”

When Scorpius Malfoy, now a fully grown man who had moved out of the family home, stormed back into it uttering some very creative curses, his Father knew something was wrong.

Draco raised an eyebrow at his son as he barged into the kitchen, “She’s a nightmare Dad! I don’t know why I put up with her!”

Draco tried to hide the half smile that slipped onto his face at his son’s words, “I do believe that you put up with her because you love her. What has she done this time to infuriate you so much?”

“She’s selfish,” Scorpius fumed, “I love her, but she’s so selfish. I don’t know if it’s a Gryffindor thing or a Weasley thing.”

“A bit of both, I expect,” Draco said honestly, “But Gryffindors tend to be more arrogant and stubborn than selfish. It’s more of a Slytherin trait.”

Scorpius scoffed, “You aren’t selfish.”

“I was,” Draco said, “And Merlin knows your Mother is.”

Scorpius snorted in amusement, “Well there’s Slytherins and then there’s Mother.”

Draco chuckled, “Why is Rose selfish? What happened between you two?”

Scorpius shook his head and filled the kettle with water, “I’ll explain over coffee. Do you want one?”

Draco nodded and watched his son with interest, “I did tell you arguments would happen if you moved in together. Living together makes or breaks a relationship, you know.”

“I know, and this isn’t a break-up,” Scorpius assured him, “Just a fight that started over something stupid. I was already annoyed with Rose because she decided she was going to this rally for creature’s rights even though it’s going to be dangerous. You know the people against it are brutal and I didn’t want her getting hurt.”

Draco nodded, “And let me guess, she didn’t take you telling her that you didn’t want her to go very well?”

“Exactly!” Scorpius exclaimed.

Draco smiled, “Just like her Mother then. Is that the whole reason you’re angry?”

“Well not exactly,” Scorpius admitted, “Things were a bit frosty because of that disagreement then Alaric called Lexa a mudblood in front of us and Rose of course kicked off, but because I didn’t hear what happened over the noise of the party I didn’t say anything to defend Lexa. So that combined with the fact that Alaric is my friend made Rose blow up at me over nothing.”

“Your best friend calling her best friend such a derogatory word is hardly nothing, Scorpius,” Draco said darkly, “Especially knowing who Rose is.”

“Who she is?” Scorpius frowned, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Draco sighed, “Sit down and drink your coffee. Let me explain.”

Scorpius obliged, sitting opposite his Father at the kitchen table. They both held their mugs of coffee as Draco explained his comment, “Rose may be a Weasley, but the family name comes from her Father’s side. The Weasley’s were considered blood traitors for a long time, but what the family sacrificed in the war gained them status and riches again.”

Scorpius nodded, “I know, but the term mudblood refers to a muggle-born not a blood traitor.”

“You don’t know your future wife very well, Scorpius,” Draco said with a pointed look, “If you did you would know who her Mother is.”

“Hermione?” Scorpius frowned, “I know her very well, I’ve known her for years. She’s a war heroine, the best friend of the man who saved our world. I did grow up with Rose and Al, I know all about their parents.”

Draco shook his head, “Hermione’s maiden name was Granger. What do you know about that?”

“Nothing, it’s not a family name I’ve ever heard of,” Scorpius replied.

“That’s because it’s a Muggle name,” Draco said, looking his son in the eye, “She’s a muggle-born Scorpius and up until her sacrifices in the war that was all the world cared about. They didn’t see a brave, beautiful, kind, intelligent young woman. They discredited her achievements because they didn’t understand that a muggle-born could excel beyond the purebloods she studied with.”

Scorpius’s frown deepened, “I never knew that.”

“Well I expect Rose doesn’t know most of what I just told you,” Draco said honestly, “But she will know that her Mother has a scar that I doubt has left her. One inflicted during the war, it spells out exactly what she is into her skin.”

Scorpius looked disgusted, “That’s horrific! What kind of sick bastard would do that?”

Draco’s eyes flashed, “The kind I have tried to distance myself from all of my life. You never had the misfortune of knowing your Great Aunt Bellatrix who physically put that mark there. But you have seen me fight to keep your Grandfather out of your life and it was because of things like that. I can’t say that I’m entirely blameless though, I was there when it happened and I did nothing.”

“Nothing?” Scorpius asked angrily.

“I am many things Scorpius, but brave is not one of them,” Draco said softly, “I never pretended to be brave, I fully accept that I’m a coward. But back then, I was the most afraid that I had ever been. I just want to make sure that you don’t make a mistake, one that I remember all too well.”

Scorpius’s frown had deepened, “What do you mean?”

“Rose may be a Weasley in name,” Draco said, “But she is a Granger in nature. She’s loving and kind and willing to forgive. If she is as much like her Mother as I have always presumed, then she will give you a second chance. You see everyone deserves a second chance, but not for the same mistake.”

Scorpius caught his Father’s eye, “What was your mistake?”

“I called her…the word that I now hate to use,” Draco said, “And I did it more than once. Had I said it once and apologised, we might have become friends. But no one will keep giving you second chances for the same mistake, especially not someone like Rose.”

“Merlin, you aren’t telling me you were in love with Rose’s Mother, are you?”

Draco shook his head, “No, I didn’t understand what love was back then. In fact, I don’t think I was capable of love until the moment I held you in my arms. I was fond of Rose’s Mother, and I regret the way I treated her.”

Scorpius nodded slowly, “Wow Dad, I never knew that.”

Draco smiled slightly, “Well, you do now. I knew from the moment you told me that you and Rose were together that this would have to come out one day.”

Scorpius got to his feet and smiled, “Your message has been heard loud and clear. I’m going to go back to the flat, fall to my knees and grovel.”

Draco chuckled and patted his son on the back, “Good luck with that.”

Scorpius gave his Dad a brief hug, “Thanks Dad,” he murmured before pulling away and marching from the house with determination in every stride.

THE END.


	37. How to Save a Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little bit of Harry/Neville friendship because I think they would be amazing BFF's.

“Seven billion people in the world and you’re overreacting because we killed one man,” Neville said as he and Harry sat in the nook of a tree in the Burrow. They were hiding from the hustle and bustle that was their joint 18th birthday party.

“But-” Harry began to object.

Neville cut in, “Seven. Billion. People,” he said slowly, “Now, quit complaining and drink your smoothie.”

Harry sighed and looked down at his untouched banana smoothie.

“You can’t even call him a man,” Neville added, “Because he wasn’t one. He was barely even human when we finished him off.”

“That’s not the point,” Harry said quietly, “I killed him and that means I’m capable of murder. If I can do it once, what’s to say I can’t do it again?”

“If you become an Auror, the chances are you probably will do it again,” Neville said honestly, “Whether it’s an accident or whether it’s to protect innocent people. I knew when I killed the snake that I was making him mortal for you to kill and you knew when you got into that duel with him that it had to end in his death or your own. It was-”

“If one more person tells me it was self-defence, I’m going to lose my temper!” Harry snapped.

Neville was unphased by this, “Well, it was,” he said simply and he sipped his own smoothie.

Harry’s was still untouched, he looked into the depths of it and said, “I feel different, Neville.”

“Of course you do,” Neville said, placing a hand on Harry’s shoulder, “You saw some horrible things, things that will change a man. Things won’t go back to normal overnight Harry, you’ll have to work to overcome everything that’s happened to you.”

Harry frowned, “Like you did you mean?”

Neville looked up in surprise, “Me?”

“Well that’s why you changed so much during the war,” Harry said, “You spent your whole life trying to overcome what had happened to you, to your parents. Then the war helped you find yourself.”

“I suppose so,” Neville mused, “Don’t you feel like you’ve found yourself?”

Harry shook his head, “Hogwarts helped me find myself. I felt like I belonged somewhere, and I felt happy and safe for a little while. The war…it made me lose myself.”

Neville nodded sadly, “I can understand that.”

Harry sighed and caught his friends eye, “So how do I fix it?”

“You push past it and get on with your life,” Neville said, “You come to terms with the fact that you killed one man to save hundreds of lives. Apply for Auror training, find something that makes you happy and for Merlin’s sake, get back together with Ginny.”

Harry smiled slightly, “Is it that obvious?”

“That you’re still in love with her?” Neville quipped, “Yes.”

Harry chuckled, “I would…but everything is still so fresh. I think she blames me for what happened to Fred and she’s still grieving.”

“She doesn’t blame you,” Neville assured his friend, “But she is still grieving and she needs someone by her side to make her happy again. She needs you, Harry.”

Harry gave Neville a small nod and pushed himself to his feet, “It’s time to get our lives back on track, isn’t it?”

Neville smiled, “Yeah, it is. Now, are you going to drink that smoothie or not?”

Harry laughed and sipped his smoothie as Neville guided him back towards the party.

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this dialogue prompt:
> 
> Seven billion people in the world and you’re overreacting because we killed one man.”  
> “But-”  
> “Seven. Billion. People. Now quit the complaining and drink your smoothie.”


	38. Sexual Tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drarry! Pure Drarry fluff...

“I hate him!”

Daphne Greengrass rolled her eyes, “I won’t even ask who.”

Pansy snorted, “We all know exactly who you hate, Draco.”

Draco glared at them both and sunk into the sofa in Daphne’s office, “Shut up. What are you doing here anyway Pansy?”

“Having lunch with my friend,” Pansy retorted, “I didn’t think that was illegal.”

“My office seems to be the place to be right now,” Daphne said in amusement, “Did you really come all the way up here from the Auror office to rant about Potter?”

“Yes,” Draco said irritably, “If I don’t let off some steam I’m actually going to kill him and as he’s my Auror partner I think that would be cause for losing my job. I still can’t believe I got paired up with him, I mean what kind of stupid compatibility test do they use?”

“An effective one,” Daphne replied, “Muggles have this thing called good cop, bad cop.”

“What the hell is a cop?”

“Muggle version of an Auror,” Pansy replied lazily.

Daphne nodded, “So the bad cop, that’s you, goes in and scares the shit out of the suspect. Then the good cop goes in and fixes everything. The combined effort gets the suspect to hand over his information.”

Draco rolled his eyes, “That’s ridiculous. I mean surely a prerequisite for being someone’s Auror partner is that you get on? I spend every day with Potter and his infuriating morals. He gets under my skin to the point that I just want to scream at him.”

“Sounds more like sexual tension than hatred to me,” Daphne smirked.

“It always has been!” Pansy exclaimed, “What you called a schoolboy rivalry was a front for the fact you liked to get up in each other’s faces and flirt! You were ridiculous Draco, shouting across the entire great hall just to taunt him.”

“Not to mention that one time you climbed a tree just to look cool while insulting him,” Daphne added, “And he’s all you ever talk about. Even back then, all you did was talk about Potter.”

“One time you even said he had infuriatingly green eyes,” Pansy pointed out.

“And that his mess of hair was annoyingly distracting,” Daphne said, raising an eyebrow at her friend.

Draco rolled his eyes, “So? I can find him attractive and still hate him.”

“So you admit that you find him attractive?” Pansy asked in amusement, “Well that’s a first, Theo, Blaise, Daph and I have been trying to get you to admit that for years.”

Draco scoffed, “Oh get off it Pansy. Everyone thinks he’s attractive, that means nothing. You both think he’s attractive.”

“Yes,” Daphne agreed, “He is very agreeable looking these days.”

“Being an Auror does suit him,” Pansy admitted, “But neither of us spend our whole lunch break talking about him every single day.”

“Neither of us said his name in our sleep all through Hogwarts either,” Daphne said with a wicked smirk.

Draco’s eyes widened, “How did you…”

“I’ve dated Theo since 6th year, Draco,” Daphne said matter of factly as Pansy cackled, “He tells me these things.”

“Fucking bastard,” Draco mumbled under his breath.

“So just admit it,” Daphne said.

“Admit what?” Draco asked.

“Don’t play dumb here,” Pansy said, “Admit that you fancy the pants off of Harry Potter.”

Draco pushed himself to his feet irritably, “Fine! I do! He’s an infuriating pain in the fucking arse but I do!” he turned to leave, exclaiming, “Happy now?”

He stopped in his tracks when he saw Harry standing in the door of the office. He had a rather cute half smile on his face, and all of the colour drained from Draco’s face when he saw him.

“Yes,” Harry said cheerfully, “I am actually.”

Draco gaped at him rather unattractively, “How long have you been standing there?”

“Longer than you’d like,” Harry said, the smallest hint of a smirk reaching his face.

Draco wanted the ground to swallow him up, “I…well…the thing is…”

Harry’s smirk widened, “We have a case. Two muggles found dead in Hackney, looks like a witch or wizard was the culprit.”

“Right,” Draco said, trying to regain his composure.

“And when we’re finished, we’re going out for a drink,” Harry said, shooting Daphne and Pansy an amused grin, “To resolve this sexual tension that everyone seems to have noticed.”

Draco looked mortified as Daphne and Pansy laughed at these words. He just shook his head and darted from the room as fast as he possibly could.

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on a dialogue prompt I found on Pinterest:
> 
> “How long have you been standing there?”  
> “Longer than you’d like.”


	39. Midnight Drarry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simply wrote this because Auror Drarry is my guilty pleasure...

“Can I just ask one question before we start?”

The Senior Auror on duty rolled his eyes, “What’s the question Malfoy?”

“If we’re training to be Aurors, why are we pretending to be criminals for this exercise?”

“Because to bring criminals down, we have to understand how they work,” Harry piped up.

“Precisely Potter,” The Senior Auror said, “And I wouldn’t have thought getting into the brain of a criminal would be too difficult for you now Malfoy.”

Malfoy looked visibly pissed off by the comment, but said nothing.

“And for speaking up, I’m going to make you go first. You’re being paired with Potter. This is the scenario. You are robbing a bank, you have a hallway filled with lasers and you need to get to the other end without setting one off. Understood?”

Harry and Malfoy both nodded and the simulation room that they were in transformed to look like the underground hallway of a bank. Between them and the vault were hundreds of lasers.

“I’ve got this Potter,” Malfoy said, determination glistening in his eyes.

Harry simply watched in amusement as Malfoy stepped forward. He was fully expecting him to set off the lasers within seconds. However, he managed to gracefully dodge every single one. In fact, it was like watching a dance because of the elegance and gracefulness of the routine.

It barely took Malfoy a minute to reach the end of the corridor, open the vault and smirk back at Harry very triumphantly, “Bet you couldn’t have done that Potter.”

Harry smiled and clapped, “Well done Malfoy, and you know, I probably couldn’t have danced through the lasers. But I could have done this…”

He walked to a consumer unit on the wall, opened it and flicked a switch. Every single laser in the corridor turned off and Malfoy looked flabbergasted.

The Aurors and Auror trainers watching the scene descended into laughter as the fake corridor disappeared into the white simulation room.

“Seriously?” Malfoy raged as he stalked back into the centre of the room.

The Senior Auror who had been teasing Malfoy earlier managed to stop laughing for long enough to say, “And that’s why we pair muggle-borns or half-bloods with purebloods, Malfoy.”

Malfoy huffed irritably and crossed his arms over his chest.

Harry just smirked, rather wickedly at the man who had once been his schoolboy rival. Then the smile on his face vanished, “Wait…did you just make him my Auror partner?”

The Senior Auror grinned in response.

Harry and Draco caught each other’s eyes as they looked at each other in disbelief.

“What?”

“No way!”

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was based on this prompt from ‘otpdisaster’ on Tumblr:
> 
> Your OTP as thieves. Person A watching, and complimenting how sexy B looks lithely weaving their way through the intricate network of deadly alarm lasers surrounding their target. A also make sure that B skillfully, gingerly, makes it all the way to the end end before A shuts the lasers off and just walks through.


	40. Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more Drarry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based on two things. A song and a prompt. I’ll put the prompt at the end so it doesn’t spoil anything though. The song is called “Moments” and it’s a country song by a band called Emerson Drive.

The wind was howling and the snow was falling hard. I barely noticed my fingers turning blue as I gripped the bridge tightly. It was December in the highlands of Scotland, of course it was cold. But I never noticed. My mind was elsewhere.

I thought I was alone. Nobody ever came out to the far flung ends of the grounds of Hogwarts in weather like this, and they especially never did so in the middle of the night.

Under any other circumstances the view would have been idyllic. The bridge I stood on connected the grounds with the real world. If anyone ever wanted to hike from Hogwarts to Edinburgh, then this would be the way to go. All around me were snow-capped mountains and below me the lake that fed the Black Lake rushed with a strong current. 

“Don’t do it.”

The voice made me jump, but my grip remained firmly on the bridges barrier. 

I never bothered turning around. I would recognise that voice anywhere. It made me both angry, frustrated and ashamed.

“This has nothing to do with you Potter.”

“Nothing to do with me?” Harry objected, “You’re my friend Draco, and I know things have been hard but this isn’t the solution.”

“Hard?” Draco asked, tears burning in his eyes, “Hard doesn’t begin to describe it Potter! I have lost everything!”

“A divorce isn’t the end of the world,” Harry assured him, “If I managed to survive one then I’m sure you can. The press ripped me apart when Ginny and I divorced, they thought I was some sort of perfect hero and that my marriage should have been perfect too. You don’t have such a high profile, you’re lucky.”

“I don’t care what the press think of the divorce!” Draco exclaimed, “I care that Astoria is refusing me custody to my son. He is all I have, and I’ve lost him. So what do I have to live for?”

“You will get custody,” Harry said softly, “There isn’t any reason why you shouldn’t. Astoria ended that marriage when she decided to have an affair. You are perfectly capable of looking after your son and the Wizengamot will realise that. You just have to give it a little bit of time.”

“The Wizengamot?” Draco spat, “The biased court that do whatever they want? There are barely any purebloods left. All of the Weasley’s will turn against me, I don’t stand a chance.”

“Alone, that’s true,” Harry said honestly, “But with me, it’s a different story.”

Draco scoffed, “And why would you want to help me, Potter?”

“I’ve helped you before,” Harry admitted, “I vouched for you after the war to save you time in Azkaban. I gave Minerva a good reference when you applied for the Potions Master job. What makes you think I won’t help you now?”

Draco frowned down at the rushing water, “Why did you do that?”

“Because you saved my life in the war, a couple of times actually,” Harry replied, “And I’m pretty big on second chances. I can see how much you love your son, about as much as I love my two in fact. I would do anything for my children so of course I’m going to help you get access to your son.”

Draco’s grip was tighter than ever but he still had not looked at Harry. “It might not work.”

“But it might,” Harry said, “And you can’t die if there’s still a chance.”

Draco took a step back and let go of the barrier. He turned his tearstained face to Harry’s and saw relief flooding the shorter man’s face.

“How did you know I was here?”

“I was worried about you so…I followed you,” Harry admitted sheepishly.

“You were worried about me?” Draco countered.

Harry suddenly seemed nervous as he glanced down at the wooden bridge’s rickety floor, “Sometimes you don’t realise what someone means to you until you think you’re going to lose them.”

Draco rolled his eyes and hastily wiped his tears, “You’re a cryptic fool like Dumbledore. You know that, don’t you?”

Harry laughed weakly and nodded, “Yeah.”

Draco smiled slightly and began to walk back along the bridge, “Come on. We have a long walk back.”

Harry nodded, “Here, I thought you might need this.”

From his cloak pocket he pulled out a jar full of magical fire. Draco took it gratefully and felt his hands finally begin to thaw.

“Thanks Potter,” Draco said, meeting Harry’s eye for the first time that night.

Harry smiled and said, “You’re welcome.”

Their walk back was in silence, but as the sun began to rise and thaw the snow, they both knew that it was the dawn of something new.

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prompt I based this on was this one from ‘cutiepieprompts’ on Tumblr:
> 
> “Prompt #63: Imagine that Muse A meets Muse B when they see them standing on a bridge about to commit suicide. A tries to slowly coax B into coming down off the bridge, telling B that they care about them.”


	41. Odd One Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scorpius centric drabble :)

My Dad had warned me that I might face some idiots when I went to Hogwarts. He told me that they might say things about me because of bad things he had done a long time ago.

I knew there was a risk but it never scared me or worried me. I was just so excited to go to Hogwarts. I could see the worry in my parent’s eyes when they saw me off at Platform 9 ¾. But I got on the train, thinking I would make friends instantly.

I settled myself down in a compartment, hoping that someone would soon join me. But they never did, so I spent the first half of the journey reading a book while I listened to children laughing in the compartment next to mine. 

I fought down the urge to go through and say hello. I had always been shy and I had no idea who was in that compartment until I heard an argument kick off. It ended in a girl’s voice saying, “You are so immature! I’m going to go read my book in peace elsewhere!”

The compartment door slid open and banged shut hard. Voices laughed in the compartment and a bushy ginger haired girl stalked along the corridor. She glanced into my compartment and paused before opening the door.

“Are you alone?”

I nodded, trying not to look too miserable.

“What are you reading?” The girl asked, stepping into the compartment curiously.

“Oh, it’s an old version of Hogwarts: A History,” I replied, “I prefer the older versions, the history is much more interesting.”

The girl nodded eagerly, “Far more of the ancient history and far less about the war and the heroes that fought in it,” she said, rolling her eyes.

I smiled and nodded, wondering if I had made my first friend, “I’m Scorpius.”

“Rose,” The girl said, holding out her hand.

I took it and we shook hands. She looked at the seat opposite me, “Do you mind if I join you? I want to read in peace.”

I shook my head and Rose sat down across from me. At first we just read our books, and although we weren’t talking it was nice to have companionship. But as the sky darkened and the journey wore on, we got talking and I grew to like Rose more and more.

When the train pulled into the station we found a carriage together and rode up to the school. I told her how the Thestrals looked, I could see them because I had seen my Grandfather die in a potions accident when I was a child. 

We laughed and talked all the way into the school, we even shared a boat and for a while I forgot who Rose had been sharing a compartment with before she entered mine. It was only when we were all gathered together at the stairs, waiting to go into the hall and be sorted, that I crashed back to reality.

“Rosie!” A voice exclaimed, “Why are you talking to death eater kid scum?”

Rose glared at the owner of the voice, “I can talk to whoever I like, Ronan!”

Ronan, with his thick Irish accent shook his head, “He’s Scorpius Malfoy, his Dad was one of the ones who fought our Dads.”

“I don’t care,” Rose said firmly, “He’s my friend.”

I glowed with happiness inside at that comment, but the words hurt too and although I didn’t realise it then, it was the beginning of my Dad’s warnings.

“Shh Ronan,” The boy next to him said, “Not everyone is the same as their Dad.”

The boy looked vaguely familiar, with dark hair and emerald eyes. I was sure I recognised him, but I didn’t know where from.

“All Malfoy’s are scum,” Ronan scoffed.

“Finnegan!” Minerva McGonagall’s voice barked, “That’s enough!”

I breathed a sigh of relief as we were taken into the hall. Rose and I stood together as name after name was called forward and each student was sorted into their house. Rose rolled her eyes at me when Ronan Finnegan was sorted into Gryffindor and I felt a sense of companionship for the first time in my life. 

Eventually my time came, “Malfoy, Scorpius!”

Rose gave me an encouraging smile and I stepped forward. The hat was placed on my head and it began to mumble its musings into my ear, “Hmm. Not a typical Malfoy. No dreams of glory or greatness, just a thirst for knowledge. Oh no doubt about it…RAVENCLAW!”

I beamed as I got to my feet and walked towards the Ravenclaw table where people were clapping for me. I was so happy not to be in Slytherin, I thought surely people would not bully me if I proved I was nothing like my Father.

I was wrong about that too though, the mumblings just carried on.

“A Malfoy who isn’t in Slytherin?”

“A smart Malfoy? As if!”

I sat down, feeling more alone than ever without Rose by my side. I watched the sorting anxiously, praying my friend would be with me.

“Potter, Albus!”

My eyes widened as I realised that the boy who had defended me earlier was Albus Potter, the son of my Dads schoolboy enemy.

He looked rather nervous as he sat down on the stool. The hat took almost a minute to sort him, but then eventually it called out, “SLYTHERIN!”

There were gasps of surprise, but Albus ignored them and walked proudly over to his new house where cheers abounded for him.

There were a few more students to be sorted, and then the Weasley’s came. Lucy Weasley was first, and she became a Hufflepuff. Then it was Rose’s turn. 

She strolled confidently up to the stool and sat down. The hat had barely touched her head when it yelled, “RAVENCLAW!”

I couldn’t have been happier as she bounded towards me. Her hair flying behind her. She sat down proudly by my side and shot me a grin. I thought that was the end of my worries.

It never stopped though. Everywhere I went I was called death eater kid, death eater spawn, any variation of that insult. The people in my own year and in my own house tolerated me, but Rose was my only friend. The Gryffindors treated me terribly, and the Hufflepuffs were rather ambivalent. The only pupils who didn’t relentlessly bully or ignore me were those in Slytherin house because many of them were bullied for the same reasons.

Albus Potter neither ignored me, bullied me or befriended me at first. We talked, but never enough to be classified as friends but he never joined in with my taunting either. Rose stuck up for me, and that lost her a lot of friends but I appreciated her help.

All the same, as the weeks went on and the bullying never ceased, I stopped going into the great hall for lunch and I stopped going into the courtyard at break. I wrote to my parents and lied by telling them that everything was fine when it really wasn’t, but I didn’t want them to worry about me. I snuck to the kitchens for food when I was really hungry and I stocked up at breakfast time then refilled at dinner to try and stop the pains.

It didn’t take long until someone noticed.

I was hiding in a classroom on the first floor during my lunch break when Professor Longbottom walked past, whistling a happy tune. He paused when he saw me and frowned, “Why aren’t you at lunch?”

I floundered, “I…uh…I…I’m not hungry.”

Professor Longbottom stepped into the classroom, “I hardly ever see you at lunch Mr. Malfoy. Come with me.”

I got to my feet and trudged after him, fully expecting to get into trouble for skipping meals. He led me to his office at the end of the hall. It was full of bright, colourful, tropical plants and I gazed around it in amazement, “Woah.”

He laughed, “I get that reaction a lot. Why don’t you sit down?”

I sat down in a comfortable armchair and Professor Longbottom sat down across from me. There was no desk to separate us, and I couldn’t help but think that the Head of Gryffindor had a much more approachable persona than the Head of Ravenclaw.

Professor Longbottom conjured up a tray of tea along with two cups, and a stack of biscuits, “Tea?”

I nodded numbly as he poured out the tea and handed me mine. He cupped his own and looked up at me, “I think you need someone to talk to Scorpius.”

I sighed and glanced down, “I’m fine. I just prefer to have lunch on my own.”

“Is that really a choice or are you scared of what awaits you in the great hall?” He asked, a knowing look in his eyes, “I know how it is. At breakfast time you have Rose with you from the common room to the great hall and then all the way to your first class. At dinner time you have Rose with you from your last class to the great hall then all the way back to your common room. But at lunchtime, you come from different classes and you feel alone.”

I looked at him in surprise, “How did you…”

“I was bullied too,” Professor Longbottom said softly, “It was at its worst in my first year at Hogwarts and just like you, I hated it and I felt alone. I had one lovely friend who made it all bearable.”

“Are you still friends?” I asked.

Professor Longbottom smiled and nodded, “Very much so.”

“Good,” I said, “I’d like to stay friends with Rose for a long time.”

“And I’m sure you will,” He said, “But you need to make other friends too and you can’t do that by hiding in classrooms on your own.”

“I just hate being around them all,” I said, looking into the depths of my tea, “They call me death eater kid and they say horrible things,” I felt embarrassed as tears sprung up in my eyes.

“Hey now,” Professor Longbottom said gently, “I know how it feels. I was bullied horribly by one person in particular. He made me feel stupid and embarrassed and like my life didn’t matter. But I ignored him and I did what I felt was right regardless of what he said about me. I didn’t let his words become the truth. Do you understand?”

I nodded slowly, “So you think I should try and prove them wrong?”

“You don’t need to prove them wrong Scorpius,” He said, “You’re nothing like your Father and they are being silly and immature to suggest that things your Father did when he was young and naïve, effect who you are today.”

“So how do I make them stop?” I asked, looking a little desperate.

“Don’t let them get to you,” Professor Longbottom said, “Ignore them and be strong. They will eventually get bored if they realise that their taunts have no effect on you.”

“But I’m not brave,” I said with a frown, “I’m not a Gryffindor like you were.”

“Now, that means nothing,” He said gently, “Not all Gryffindors are brave, not all Slytherins are cowardly, not all Ravenclaws are smart and not all Hufflepuffs are loyal. We all have a little bit of every house inside of us and right now you need to summon that little bit of Gryffindor in you.”

I nodded, feeling determined for the first time, “Okay,” I said, smiling up at him.

Professor Longbottom smiled back and said, “And the first brave move you need to make is to ask Albus Potter to be your friend. He likes you and you like him, I see you talking in Herbology class. He’s very shy and so are you. One of you has to ask, or you might never be friends.”

I felt my confidence growing from this short conversation. I nodded once more and got to my feet, “Thanks Professor Longbottom!” 

He smiled broadly at me and I was nearly out of the door when a thought struck me. I paused in the doorway and asked, “Who bullied you, when you were little?”

Professor Longbottom just smiled, shook his head and said, “Nobody you know Scorpius. Now, on you go. You might get some lunch in before the bell rings.”

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this Tumblr post from ‘offspringcodeofloyalty’:
> 
> Scorpius Malfoy wasn't in Slytherin. He was in Ravenclaw, but that didn’t stop him from being bullied relentlessly in his first term. Like other descendants of Death Eaters, he was called “Death Eater Kid” in the hallways, and regularly cursed from behind. The only person who kept him going in the first few months was Professor Longbottom. He spent most of his breaks in Neville’s office, sharing tea and getting advice, shocked to learn that Neville too had once been bullied. Neville never told him who the bully was.


	42. Crazy, Stupid, Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Random little Dramione thing that I did a while ago...

“Draco, would you quit whining?” Theodore Nott asked irritably.

Draco Malfoy was sprawled across his bed, he looked pathetic.

“I don’t know what you have to whine about,” Blaise agreed, “She loves you.”

“She doesn’t love me,” Draco said quietly, “She’s not that stupid.”

“She’s your girlfriend,” Theo pointed out.

“That doesn’t mean that she loves me,” Draco said, “She’s too good for me. Far too good.”

“Yes, she is,” Blaise agreed.

“She’s far too nice and sweet for you,” Theo said with a nod, “But for some reason she still loves you. I think she got a bump on the head during the war that made her a bit loopy.”

Blaise nodded, “That’s the only reason I can come up with for her falling in love with you.”

“Thanks for the self-esteem boost guys,” Draco said dryly.

Theo grinned wickedly and Blaise sighed, “It doesn’t matter why she loves you, does it? It just matters that she does.”

“But she’s Hermione Granger, the golden princess of Gryffindor and I’m me.”

“Not this again,” Theo said, rolling his eyes and flopping on his dorm bed.

“Not what again?” A familiar voice said from the doorway. 

“The whole, I’m Draco Malfoy. I’m Death Eater, Slytherin scum and Hermione is golden and perfect, pity spiel,” Blaise said matter of factly.

Hermione shot Draco an amused look, “Does that really matter now that it’s all over?”

Draco’s cheeks were pink, “That’s not the point.”

“What is the point?” Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow at the blonde boy.

“Right!” Theo exclaimed, “Let’s settle this thing right here and now. Hermione, do you love Draco?”

Hermione’s eyes widened in surprise, and Draco exclaimed, “Theo!”

Theo rolled his eyes, “Please Hermione. I think I’m going to jump off the Astronomy tower if I have to put up with anymore of this.”

Hermione smiled slightly, “Of course I love you, Draco.”

“There!” Theo shouted, “She loves you. Nobody cares why she loves you, but she does! Hermione, you love Draco. Draco, you love Hermione. Now please Draco, shut the hell up!”

Hermione bit her lip to try and hide her amused smile as Draco pulled the covers over his head and whined, “Just shut up, Theo!”

THE END.


	43. Hate is a Strong Word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little bit of total AU Drarry.

I thought my parents were in love, sickeningly in love actually. In love to the point of being embarrassing.

When I (I’m James Sirius Potter by the way) went to Hogwarts all of those perceptions I had of my parents changed and it all started very subtly. Looking back, the first hint that my parent’s life was not all that it seemed was in something Professor McGonagall had said on my first day.

I listened intently to her opening speech and when we were given our tasks, I immediately got to work. As she walked up and down she looked at our progress and when she reached me she paused.

“Very impressive Mr. Potter,” She had said, “You certainly don’t get your Transfiguration skills from your biological Father.”

I laughed, “I know, my Dad is terrible at Transfiguration. It was my Father who taught me.”

She smiled very slightly, it was the sort of smile that you could only see if you were really looking for it, “I can see that.”

As she walked away she mumbled to herself thoughtfully, “Who would have thought?” and that sparked the smallest doubt in my head.

That doubt only grew as I progressed through my first year. I knew my Father had wronged in the past, but I never knew the full extent of it. The little comments about how unbelievable it was that my parents had raised me and my little brother Scorpius together never stopped though. The teachers made these comments, not my fellow students and I started to wonder what it was they knew. 

Eventually, I asked, “What do you mean by that Professor McGonagall?”

She looked surprised, “Oh. Only that your parents weren’t exactly friends when they went to Hogwarts together.”

I frowned, “Because they were a Slytherin and a Gryffindor?” I asked.

She frowned, “That was part of it, yes. But perhaps this is something to ask your parents about.”

That was all I got from that conversation. But as I asked more and more questions I grew to realise that my parents had not just ‘not been friends’, by all accounts they had hated each other and this just didn’t compute to me. Not until I was cornered by a group of Gryffindors who were much older than me in the common room one night.

“Potter,” The tallest said as they boxed me in and towered over me.

I took a step back, “What do you want?”

“To ask you how you managed to worm your way into Gryffindor,” Another of the boys said.

“Scum like you doesn’t belong here,” The third said.

I swallowed, “But my Dad was in Gryffindor-”

“Your Dad divorced your Mum because he was a pansy,” The tallest said nastily.

“And the pansy he left her for is a Malfoy,” The second said, “Malfoy’s are Slytherin scum and so is everyone associated with them. You deserve to be in Slytherin, like him.”

I didn’t know what to say, and I couldn’t take another step back without stepping into the fire.

The third boy said, “Malfoy killed my Uncle, and Jack’s Aunt too. He was a Death Eater, sucking up Lord Voldemort’s arse. I suppose he’s sucking up your Dads now.”

They all laughed and I felt tears prickling at my eyes. This was the first bad treatment I had gotten because of who my parents were and I wasn’t prepared for it all.

“Look at the little pansy crying,” The tallest chortled, he pushed me and I cried out as I nearly fell in the fire. 

They left me alone after that, and as I sat in front of the fire I realised that everything I knew was a lie. The man I had called Father from about the age of 3 years old had been a Death Eater. He had fought on the other side of the war against my Dad. I could see why my Dad had hated him, I could see why they had been enemies but I couldn’t understand why they were together.

I never slept that night, tossing and turning and trying to make sense of my life. But when morning came, nothing was any clearer. It was a Saturday so I dressed myself and went to the person I trusted most, apart from my parents.

“James!” He said brightly when he opened the door to his quarters.

“Uncle Neville,” I said miserably, stepping inside.

Neville frowned at me, “What’s wrong?”

“Everything,” I said miserably, flopping onto an armchair by the fire, “My Father was a Death Eater. He fought for Voldemort against my Dad.”

Neville sighed, “That’s not true. He was forced to become a Death Eater, James. His Father held him down while he was branded and his family forced him into that life. He was never against your Dad, in fact he did what he could to help him.”

“How?” 

“Well, it’s complicated,” Neville admitted, “But he saved your Dads life a few times during the war. And your Dad saved his life too.”

I shook my head in disbelief, “But it doesn’t make any sense Uncle Neville!” I exclaimed, “My Father was such an idiot! He bullied my Dad and they fought and they duelled all of the time! I mean how could they be together after that, it makes no sense at all!”

“Your Dad caused as many as those fights as your Father,” Neville said wisely, “The blame for the animosity was 50/50 and I can assure you James, your parents love each other very much.”

“But how?” I shouted, “You don’t understand Uncle Nev, they hated each other!”

Neville looked up at me and smiled, “Nah, they didn’t.”

I looked at my Uncle like he was mad.

“Trust me,” Neville said, “I was there to witness it all. They never hated each other, they fought and they bickered like an old married couple. Just like they do now, but hate is a strong word James. They always liked each other, but neither of them admitted that for a very long time. You know what they say, little boys pull on little girls pigtails when they like them.”

I snorted, “Or in this case little boys will duel little boys when they fancy them.”

Neville laughed loudly, “Exactly. It doesn’t matter how your parents story started, just that it’s a happy one now.”

I nodded slowly, “You’re right.”

Neville looked amused at the surprise in my voice, “And now if you are quite finished, do you want to join me for some breakfast?”

My worries now relieved I nodded and smiled, “Yes, please.”

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on this post on tumblr from ‘magicalfeminazi’ but adapted slightly;
> 
> “I’m just imagining James Sirius going to Hogwarts and hearing all this stories about how Draco and Harry were always fighting and some one even shows him a picture somebody took of them in which Harry punched Draco. And he just can’t understand how the parents he saw at home, disgustingly in love, could be the same people as in those stories.
> 
> And then he hears stories about his father Draco and he knew his dad had been a Death Eater but people say such horrible things and he begins to understand why Harry hated him. And he is so confuse. He goes to see his uncle Lupin and starts ranting about how was it posible that his parents were toghether and that Draco was such a jerk when he was young.
> 
> “I can assure you your parents love each other very much, James” says Remus, his eyes not leaving the exams he was marking.
> 
> “BUT HOW? You don’t understand uncle Remus, he HATED him!” He cryes messing his hair.
> 
> Remus looks up and he is seeing James and Harry all over again and can’t help but smile fondly.
> 
> “Nah, he didn’t”.”


	44. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angsty canon-ish stuff!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on the prompt; Write a story that starts with the line, “There were three of them.”

“There were three of them.”

“I know,” Luna said softly.

Neville’s eyes were fixed firmly on a spot just beyond the lake. The spot where Ron stood with his arm around Hermione. The spot where a new tombstone stood next to Dumbledore’s, the marble shining with the light from the setting sun.

“There were always three of them.”

“There couldn’t be three forever,” Luna said, gently taking Neville’s hand.

“There should have been for a lot longer than this,” Neville said, ignoring the tears in his eyes, “34, after everything he did Luna…to die at just 34?”

“That’s 13 years longer than his parents lived for,” Luna said calmly, “I miss him too Neville but with a different perspective everything seems different. Wherever Harry is now, he’s happy. He’s with his parents, Sirius, Remus, Tonks and Fred. Not to mention Dumbledore.”

“I believe that,” Neville said honestly, “But what about those two? The ones who are left? They aren’t happy Luna, they are devastated. Since they were 11 there has always been three of them. Even people like you and I didn’t quite come into that bubble, I’m still not sure Ginny ever did and she married Harry. That hole that has been left by his death…it’s never going to be filled. There will be this void…forever.”

Luna tightened her grip on Neville’s hand, “Some holes are never filled again, that’s true. But that doesn’t mean that they won’t be happy again. There are lots of different ways to deal with a big hole like that. You can avoid it and forever spend your life trying not to trip up and fall in. Or you can plant something beautiful in it, replacing the emptiness and the sadness with hope.”

Neville turned to the woman next to him and smiled, “It’s at times like this when I feel lucky to call you my wife.”

Luna smiled softly, “They will heal Neville, I promise you. But it won’t be easy, not for them or for Ginny, not for any of us. The only way we are going to get through this is together.”

“And that’s exactly what Harry would want,” Neville said quietly.

Luna nodded, squeezing his hand once more. Neville swallowed the lump that had slowly been rising in his throat and nodded, “Together.”

THE END.


	45. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Literally have no idea what this is. Draco centric, I suppose?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on the prompt; “When I discovered my Mothers secret…”

I had spent 6 hours straight in the attic of Malfoy Manor. I had spent my whole afternoon amongst dusty boxes, mouldy dress robes from the 1870’s and old musty chests from generation after generation of Hogwarts’s students.

I was clearing out Malfoy Manor because it had just become my property upon my Fathers incarceration in Azkaban. The war was over, the world was starting afresh and I planned to do the same. This attic was full of memories, not of all which had to be kept and not all of which were good. I was close to stopping for the day when I saw a box that looked newer than the rest. It was an old jewellery box, crammed to the bursting with something that looked like parchment.

I couldn’t help myself, curiosity got the better of me. I opened the box and that was when I discovered my Mother’s secret. Sitting there, cross legged on the floor, I realised that there was far more to my Mother than met the eye.

The parchment I had seen was actually scrolls and once unravelled it became clear that those scrolls were letters. Photographs fell out of some of them too, photographs that stunned me. But the words stunned me all the more.

The letters were addressed to ‘Severus’ and the only Severus who I knew was Severus Snape. The Potions Master who I had admired so much throughout Hogwarts, the man who I had always known as my Godfather.

I scanned the letter, penned in 1978 and thought it was just my Mother writing to her friend. But the final words, “All of my love, Cissa,” gave me some cause for concern. I knew my Father had been unfaithful to my Mother throughout their marriage but I never thought that my Mother had loved anyone apart from my Father, even with all of his faults.

I grabbed another letter, and another. The more I read the more it became apparent that my Mother and my Godfather were not just friends, they were lovers. My brain went into overdrive as I remembered all of the times when my Father had been on business and Severus had been at the manor. I thought it was to help Mother out, to keep her company when Father was gone. I suppose he was keeping her company, just not in the way that I had expected.

I was unsure if I should keep reading the letters, afraid they might get too raunchy for my liking. But I had stumbled across one letter, written around 6 months before I was born, that stopped me in my tracks. The words written were, “I am with child Severus. Lucius believes it is his because he has no cause to think otherwise but I am less than certain…”

My hands shook and I dropped the letter. The thought that my Father might not actually be my Father had me reeling and I scrambled through the box looking for Severus’s reply. When I found it, I was more stunned than ever.

“Wonderful news Cissa. As far as Lucius is concerned, there can be no cause to believe otherwise. However, if it does turn out that the child is mine, I would like to be involved in his or her life in some way.”

I swallowed, beginning to feel sick as this dawned on me. I grabbed another letter, addressed to Severus from my Mother. It contained a photograph of me as a baby, I looked just as I did in all of my baby photographs, platinum blonde hair and bright blue eyes. They became grey as I got older, but when I was small, they were blue. I scanned the letter for the words I wanted to see, that I was my Father’s son, that my entire life had not been a lie.

What I found was, “The moment Lucius left the hospital to inform the family, I performed a DNA charm. He is your son, Severus, and I intend to name him Draco, after your dear Grandfather.”

I dropped the letter and was unable to pick up another one. The dust in the attic felt like it was choking me, and I feared I would collapse if I did not get some fresh air. I left the attic hurriedly, leaving the letters abandoned on the floor as I did so. I rushed from the house and sucked in the cold, fresh air outside like a hungry man.

I had no idea what to do, or who to go to. The man I had called my Father for my entire life had just been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban. The man who my Mother claimed was my biological Father had died, only weeks ago, betraying the master I had been forced to serve. I had cried at his funeral, and my Mother had too. We had cried together, but had she told me the truth? No.

I walked in a daze down the garden path and spun. I wasn’t entirely sure where I was apparating to until I arrived, dizzy and confused, on the doorstep of Harry Potter’s house. I knew why my brain had brought me here, I knew that he was the only person who would truly understand.

“Malfoy!” He said in surprise when he opened the door.

I looked up at him, and he must have seen how terrible I looked because he took a step back and asked, “Do you want to come in?”

I nodded and walked silently into the disgusting old house he inhabited. Grimmauld Place they called it, the former Black Manor where my Mother had grown up. Thinking about my Mother made my blood boil.

“You look like you could do with a drink,” Harry said, leading me into the tapestry room where a drinks globe sat in one corner.

I gave another numb nod and looked around the walls while Harry poured out two glasses of firewhiskey. I glared at my Mother’s face, my Father’s sitting there next to it. Then there was me below them, but that was just a lie.

“I’m not a pureblood,” I said, because it was the only way I could think of to start the conversation.

“What do you mean?” Harry scoffed, “You’re the most pureblooded person I know. You’re a Malfoy for crying out loud.”

“No,” I said, unsure whether I felt more betrayed or angry, “My Mother is a Black and my Father was a…”

“Malfoy,” Harry said slowly.

I shook my head, “A Snape.”

Harry almost dropped his glass, “A what?”

“I found letters,” I seethed, “In the attic while I was cleaning it out. My Mother was having an affair, and I don’t think my Father ever knew about it. He would have divorced her if he had, or killed her.”

“Your Mother had an affair, with Severus Snape?” Harry asked in disbelief.

I nodded, trying to hide my anger, “He was never my Godfather, he was my Father and he always knew! My Mother always knew and neither of them ever told me!”

Harry looked stunned, but also confused, “Malfoy…I mean, I should probably call you Draco actually.”

I just nodded.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Who else can I tell?” I asked pathetically, “Who else knows what it’s like to be lied to about everything for their entire life?”

“That’s true,” Harry sighed, “But this is different than muggles lying to me about my parents. Your own Mother never told you…”

“My own Father never told me either!” I snapped.

“It does make sense though,” Harry said slowly, “Snape always looked out for you. All the way throughout Hogwarts, he even made an unbreakable vow to keep you safe when Voldemort marked you. I always thought it was just because he saw a bit of himself in you but…well I suppose there’s a lot of him in you.”

“Fuck off Potter,” I said miserably.

“Ah you must be feeling a bit better if you can insult me,” Harry said with an amused look.

I rolled my eyes, “Better? How am I supposed to deal with this? My whole life is a lie!”

“I would be inclined to say you’re being over dramatic,” Harry said as I flopped miserably onto the sole armchair in the room, “But for once, you aren’t.”

Draco just groaned.

“Look, you need to look at this with a fresh perspective. Go to sleep, and rethink things in the morning.”

“Go to sleep?” I cried hysterically, “How can I go to sleep! Sleep! Honestly, you Gryffindors with your stupidly conceived notions-”

“Stupefy!”

.......................................................................................................

I woke from the strangest dream, all about my Father and Snape and…Harry Potter. I frowned and rubbed the sleep from my eyes, what an odd dream that had been. I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that it had only been a dream.

I opened my eyes and frowned as I noticed the green drapings around my bed were missing. I sat up straight and scanned the room, realisation dawning on me once more.

“How do you take your coffee, Malfoy?” A voice called from below.

My eyes widened. Potter. I was in Potter’s house, in Potter’s bed. It hadn’t been a dream. It was all true!

“Arghhhh!”

THE END.


	46. Operation Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Harry fails at being subtle when planning a birthday party, completely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on a scene from Parks & Recreation.

“Okay. Operation Rose is-”

“Operation Rose?” Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.

“That’s the subtle name for our plan to throw Rose a surprise birthday party?” Ginny added.

“Yes, what’s wrong with that?” Harry asked, glancing around the group.

“How the hell are you an Auror?” Dudley asked his cousin, “What do you call your plans, Operation Arrest This Serial Killer?”

Harry rolled his eyes, “The name of the plan does not matter big D. Putting the plan into action and giving my goddaughter the best surprise 17th birthday ever does. Now, I’ve decided to give you all codenames.”

“Codenames?” Neville snorted, “What is this, World War Three?”

Luna grinned and said, “I like the idea of having a code name! What are they?”

“Well I was a bit drunk when I came up with them last night,” Harry said, pulling a piece of parchment from his robes, “But Neville found it funny so we’re rolling with it. You can address me as Eagle One.”

“Eagle? Shouldn’t it be Lion?” Cho cut in.

“It’s Eagle,” Dudley said, looking at his wife, “That’s what they say in all the old war films.”

“The muggle war films?” Cho quipped.

Harry cut in before an argument could begin, “So! I’m Eagle One. Dudley, your code name is Big D. Cho, Been There, Done That.”

Cho’s jaw dropped and Harry thought it best to continue before Dudley could hit him.

“Ginny is Currently Doing That.”

Ginny nodded in amusement.

“Hermione, It Happened Once in a Dream.”

“Ugh!” Hermione exclaimed as Ron’s ears reddened.

“Luna, It Could Be Fun.”

Harry winced as Neville punched him in the arm for that one. Luna on the other hand just sniggered. Harry decided to continue quickly, “Neville, code name, If I Had to Pick a Dude.”

Neville smirked in amusement, “The feeling is mutual Harry.”

Ginny and Luna shared amused, and slightly exasperated looks, as Harry looked at Ron. His best friend looked slightly alarmed, “Ron is…” he trailed off and Ron looked more concerned than ever.

“…Eagle Two.”

“Oh, thank Merlin,” Ron muttered, breathing a visible sigh of relief.

“So Operation Rose-”

“- Is very sweet but Rose has known about it for weeks, Uncle Harry,” Rose’s voice said from the doorway, where she stood smirking (and looking very much like her Mother).

“Oh…shit.”

THE END.


	47. Snakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry can still talk to snakes and Albus has a pet snake. The trouble is, he always forgets that his Father can talk to his pet...

Almost everyone Harry knew thought he had lost his ability to talk to snakes when the piece of Voldemort’s soul that had been living inside of him had died. He did not publicise the fact that he could still talk to snakes, but he could.

It rarely happened. Occasionally he would have a quick chat with a snake in a zoo, and sometimes the wild ones he saw when they holidayed gave him interesting facts about the local area. 

His children did not know about his strange ability, but Ginny did. So when Albus, his youngest son, went to Hogwarts and was sorted into Slytherin, they were unsurprised. They were surprised when Albus came home in the summer after his 1st year and asked for a pet snake.

The list of pets allowed on the premise of Hogwarts had changed a lot from their day after all. James had a pet ferret, which had nothing to do with Draco Malfoy. Harry hadn’t pushed that one at all, but he had laughed so much when James had asked for the pet. So all in all, Harry and Ginny had no choice but to agree and they bought Albus a non-venomous grass snake.

Albus named the snake Rufus and paraded around the house with him around his neck. Harry had to try not to snigger when he heard the snake complaining about the silly child who was always swinging him about but he promised Rufus that he would give Albus a lecture about treating his pet properly.

Albus went back to Hogwarts after the summer holiday and he took Rufus with him. For the sake of Albus’s privacy Harry purposefully didn’t probe Rufus for information about his son. For a number of years, they lived quite harmoniously, without having any meaningful conversations as such.

However, when Albus was home in the summer between his 5th and 6th year, Harry found himself alone with Rufus while putting laundry away in his son’s bedroom.

“Good morning,” The snake hissed.

Harry tried not to talk back to Rufus too often, afraid that one of his children might overhear him talking in parseltongue. But today everyone was away in Diagon Alley, so he sat down on Al’s bed, not seeing any harm.

“Hi Rufus. How are you?” He asked the snake.

The snake shook its head, “Tired. I feel so confined to this cage and that room at the castle. I dream of the grasssss and my freedom.”

Harry nodded sadly, “Raised in captivity?”

Rufus bowed his head in a nod.

“Me too,” Harry said, “Muggles raised me. I never even knew I was magical until I got my Hogwarts letter.”

“Basssstards,” The snake said.

Harry laughed, “Who knew snakes could swear?”

“Ssssnakes are the master of profanity,” Rufus said, and if snakes could smirk, he was, “Your son would know.”

“My son has a foul mouth,” Harry said, shaking his head, “I dread to think of the things you have seen and heard in his common room.”

Rufus shook his head slowly, “It isssss a living a hell.”

Harry snorted, “Better than being stuck in that pet shop.”

“You have no idea,” Rufus said.

Harry began to ask, “What does he get up to, exactly-” but he was interrupted by the door opening.

Albus stood in the doorway with wide eyes, “Dad! What the hell are you doing?”

Harry cleared his throat and looked from Rufus to his son, “I was just…talking to your snake.”

Albus looked at his Father like he was mad, “In parseltongue? HOLY FUCK DAD,” he lowered his voice, “you’re a parselmouth?”

“Keep your voice down,” Harry whispered, “And watch your language.”

“Sorry,” Albus muttered sheepishly, “But seriously, you’re a parselmouth?”

“Yes,” Harry replied, “I have been since I was 11. And no, you have not inherited the ability. Rufus would have spoken to you by now.”

“Woah,” Albus said, shaking his head in disbelief, “Does anyone else know?”

“Only your Mother and your Aunt Hermione,” Harry said quietly, he had never told Ron that he had maintained the ability, “And I would like to keep it that way.”

Albus nodded, still stunned as his Father got to his feet and walked towards the bedroom door, “Wait, Dad! What were you and Rufus talking about?”

“Just life,” Harry shrugged, “Lips sealed, remember?”

Albus nodded and Harry left the room and his stunned son in his wake.

After that short chat the years passed normally. Harry made a point not to speak to Rufus in front of Albus but he did have long, meaningful chats with the snake when nobody else was in the house. He considered freeing him, but he knew it would break Albus’s heart because he loved that snake so much.

Harry thought about what it was like losing Hedwig, and as much as he felt sorry for Rufus, that was why he never set his sons pet free. Rufus was a bit of a drama queen anyway, if Harry was entirely honest, but most snakes tended to be, just like most Slytherins for that matter.

As a whole, Harry stayed out of Albus’s business. But he did accidentally find out something about his son thanks to Rufus, during the summer before Albus’s final year of school. Albus was out with his best friend, Scorpius. Scorpius Malfoy. That had been a tough pill to swallow, but he and Ginny had come to like Scorpius fairly quickly. Even Hermione thought he was a sweet boy, but Ron still narrowed his eyes at the boy suspiciously every time he entered his house. 

Anyway, on this bright summers day Harry had been cleaning the house. Molly and Arthur were staying for a week or so, and Ginny wanted the place spotless. He had been designated with Albus’s room which was a fairly easy job. Unlike James, Albus kept his room nice and tidy most of the time. But cleaning Albus’s room meant a heart to heart with Rufus.

On this occasion, Rufus started hissing the moment Harry had shut the door to Albus’s bedroom.

“Oh my goshhhh. You will never guesss what happened,” Rufus hissed.

Harry was instantly curious. He was far too nosy for his own damn good, “What?”

“Albusss,” Rufus hissed, “And Scorpiussss. In this room, right in front of me. My eyessss are burning.”

Harry’s eyes widened, “Albus, and Scorpius?” 

Rufus bowed his head in a nod, “You said he loved me. Why would he do that in front of me? Why would he sssscar me like that?”

“He probably forgot that you have feelings,” Harry replied, “And that you speak to me.”

“Forgot my feelingssss?” Rufus hissed, “Will you jussst free me already?”

“I can’t Rufus,” Harry said, “It would break his heart.”

“He’s burning my eyessss.”

“I think you’re being a bit dramatic, Rufus,” Harry pointed out, “I mean think of me here. How am I supposed to look him in the face now?”

“How am I sssupposed to look at him?” Rufus asked, “He’sss going to touch me with those handssss.”

Harry cringed, “Rufus, that’s enough information!”

“Oh…fuck.”

Harry’s head snapped around to the window of Albus’s room (which was on the 1st floor). Albus and Scorpius were hovering outside on their brooms, and from how pale Albus was, he knew exactly what had just gone down between his snake and his Dad.

Harry raised an eyebrow at his son, “Forgot something, did you son?”

Albus swallowed and grimaced as he looked at Scorpius, “Scorp, did I ever tell you that my Dad can talk to snakes?”

Scorpius’s eyes widened and the colour drained from his face, “I am so sorry Mr. Potter. I had no idea, I mean Al never told me. AL! How could you forget something like that?”

Harry smirked, “I think you ought to come in Scorpius. You and I need to have a little chat.”

Scorpius swallowed and looked positively terrified, “I…uh…right, of course Mr. Potter.”

They hovered into the bedroom and dumped their brooms on the bed. As Harry led Scorpius out of the room Albus glared at his snake, “Rufus, I fucking hate you!” he muttered, unaware of the smirk on the snakes face.

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was based on this post from ‘mrsmoony’ and ‘ourforelsket’ on tumblr:
> 
> “Harry Potter au where Harry didn’t lose being a parsletongue and Albus buys a snake as a pet one year because snakes are cool and one day just walks in on Harry and the snake having a deep conversation  
> Albus is 17 and loses his virginity in his room and forgets the snake talks to his dad and when Harry gets home the snake is all like OH MY GOSH YOU’D NEVER GUESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS WHAT HAPPENED”


End file.
